Current situation of Giardia infection in Spain: Implications for public health

Figure 1 Histological examination of a gastric lesion from an infected patient showing multiple Giardia intestinalis trophozoites (10-20 μm × 5-15 μm) adhering to the surface epithelium (magnification x 200, Giemsa stain). Magnification × 1000 (inset) reveals the typical tear-drop shape with twin nuclei of this parasite. Image reproduced with kind permission from Georg Thieme Verlag KG, Stuttgart, Germany.

Figure 2 Voluntary reporting of human giardiasis to the Spanish Microbiological Information system. A: Annual totals of notified cases of Giardia infections in Spain between 1989 and 2010 (n = 16 974); B: Age distribution of Giardia infections in Spain for the period 2007-2010 (n = 3077); C: Seasonal distribution of Giardia infections in Spain for the period 2007-2010 (n = 3077).