Staying healthy on long trips can be very difficult. Hidden in the lush foliage are insect-borne viruses, and coming out of a hotel faucet are bacteria that can keep you going for weeks. One of the most common illnesses experienced by travelers on vacation is called Giardia. To help you once infected with this debilitating disease, or to help you stay disease-free while abroad, contact a travel clinic.

What is Giardia and how is it transmitted?

Giardia is a microscopic parasite that is common in both animals (including cats and dogs) and humans. Giardia causes giardiasis, which is sometimes called beaver fever. It is a diarrheal disease and is common abroad and in the United States.

Once the parasite is ingested, it lives in the intestines and is passed to the next person (or animal) through the feces. When outside the body, the disease can last for months, making it difficult to eradicate. It is easily transmitted from one host to another.

By visiting a travel clinic, you can learn all the ways giardia is spread. These include:

• Eating undercooked foods that contain the organism

• Touching things like bathroom door handles

• A visit to a farm or any place where animals reside

• Swallowing drinking water or using ice cubes made from infected water

• Swallowing tiny amounts of infected lake or pool water.

• Social contact with someone who is infected

• Travel to countries where giardia infection is common. These countries/geographical areas include Mexico, Central America, South America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and other parts of the world, including all of Europe and North America. It would seem that the lanky hand of giardia infection is creeping across the world.

Symptoms usually begin one to three weeks after the infection occurs and can last for more than six weeks. Getting treatment from a certified travel clinic can shorten this cycle. It’s time to visit a travel clinic if you start to suffer from any of the following symptoms:

• Diarrhea

• Stomach and/or abdominal cramps

• Nausea

• Dehydration

• Excess gas

• Greasy-type stools that tend to float

A stool sample is usually collected for testing. There are several very effective prescription medications that can be used to treat giardia. The fact is that tons of people who travel acquire this parasite. Diarrhea is horrible when it lasts a day or two, six weeks or more is downright torturous.

If you are planning a trip abroad, it is strongly recommended that you visit a travel clinic. Depending on where you are traveling, vaccinations may be required to enter. This is certainly the case for yellow fever vaccination. Many countries will only allow entry with a certificate showing recent yellow fever inoculation.