Giardia lamblia: Effect of infection with symptomatic and asymptomatic isolates on the growth of gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) were intragastrically inoculated with axeni c Giardia lamblia cultures from symptomatic and asymptomatic children. All isolates were able to colonize the duodenum. However, the colonization capa city of the symptomatic isolates was significantly higher compared to that of the asymptomatic ones. Despite the different colonization capacity of th e isolates, the growth curves of infected animals were significantly lower than those of controls. The study demonstrates that acute giardia infection s are capable of altering the corporal development of the host. These resul ts may suggest that nut only symptomatic, but also asymptomatic giardiasis in children, often unnoticed by parents and clinicians, could be causing a silent detriment in their nutritional status. (C) 2000 Academic Press.