in vitro culture and isoenzyme analysis of giardia lamblia

Short-term residents of Colorado were documented to have higher attack rates of
giardiasis than did long-term residents (Schultz, 1975). This implies development
of acquired immunity among long term residents of communities where Giardia is
endemic.
1.7.4 Nutritional status and gastric acidity
There have been reports showing a strong association between malnutrition and
giardiasis prevalence. Upadhyay et al., (1985) showed that Giardia infected,
malnourished animals could not absorb nutrients. Similarly, Gilman et al. (1985),
reported that 51% of severely malnourished children at a Nutrition Unit in
Bangladesh acquired Giardia infections.
Giardiasis is more common and lasts longer in patients who are malnourished and
therefore immunocompromised. This was demonstrated by Sullivan et al.1991
when they determined the prevalence of giardiasis in 33 Gambian children with
chronic diarrhoea malnutrition. Fourteen of the 31 (45%) children with chronic
diarrhoea malnutrition syndrome had giardiasis compared with only 4 of 33 (12%)
healthy children matched for age and sex.
It is not clear whether giardiasis can contribute to malnutrition or whether
malnutrition predisposes to giardiasis (Rabbani & Islam, 1994).
A few findings regarding the role of gastric acid in giardiasis have been published.
The acid pH of the stomach was suggested to play a protective role against
Giardia infection (Giannella et al., 1973), However, the finding that the initial step
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