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Giardia Risk Factors
Anyone can get giardiasis (an infection with the Giardia parasite). However, some people have a higher exposure to Giardia risk factors than others, such as:
- People who swallow water from contaminated sources
- Children who attend daycare centers, including diaper-aged children
- Parents of infected children
- Childcare workers
- Backpackers, hikers, and campers who drink unfiltered, untreated water
- Swimmers who swallow water while swimming in lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams
- People who drink from shallow wells
- International travelers.
Contaminated water includes water that has not been:
- Boiled
- Filtered
- Disinfected with chemicals.
Several community-wide outbreaks of giardiasis have been linked to drinking municipal water or recreational water contaminated with Giardia.
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD