Burden and Epidemiology of Human Intestinal Giardia duodenalis Infection in Colombia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The genus Giardia is a unicellular protozoan able to parasitize both humans and animals. Cysts of Giardia can be found in soil samples, aquatic environments, food, and any surface that gets in contact with the feces of parasitized animals. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the burden and epidemiology of Giardia infection in Colombia summarizing recent scientific reports and existing knowledge and to identify knowledge gaps that may be addressed in future investigations. This work follows the guidelines established by “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes” (PRISMA). Published scientific literature from 1 January 2010 to 18 September 2022 was searched in six electronic scientific databases using the search terms: “Giardia” OR “Giardiasis” AND “Colombia”. Twenty-three scientific articles were performed in 22 departments of Colombia at rural, urban, and a combination of rural and urban contexts. The prevalence of Giardia in the Colombian population was between 0.9 and 48.1% when the samples were analyzed with classical microscopy; the range of Giardia prevalence was even bigger (4.2–100%) when qPCR and nested PCR were used. The dominant Giardia assemblages found in Colombia were A and B, and most frequent subassemblages were AII, BIII, and BIV.

Epidemiology of giardiasis and assemblages A and B and effects on diarrhea and growth trajectories during the first 8 years of life: Analysis of a birth cohort in a rural district in tropical Ecuador

“…Previous studies done in Latin America have shown a variable dominance of A versus B assemblages between studies [ 15 , 16 , 42 ], with occasional reports of human infections with other assemblages such as D [ 43 , 44 ], G [ 43 ] and C [ 45 ]. Previous molecular analyses of giardiasis done in Ecuador have examined the presence of G .…”

“…G . lamblia infections are first acquired during infancy in highly endemic regions [ 14 ] and rates of asymptomatic or sub-clinical infection may exceed 50% during childhood in Latin American settings [ 15 , 16 ]. Although G .…”

Protozoan Infections Acquired from Food or Drinking Water: An Update

“…Studies in single countries reported that G. intestinalis was the predominant parasite, with a 37% prevalence, in marginalized rural areas in the North of Palestinian West Bank Region [190], had an estimated prevalence in Colombia between 0.9 and 48.1% when analyzed with classical microscopy and between 4.2 and 87% when analyzed by qPCR and nested PCR. Prevalence of G. intestinalis among patients with 5-8 years of age treated in health centers in Sheno, Ethiopia, was 53.3% in 2020 and 56% in 2021 [191].…”