TRACE ELEMENT COMPOSITION IN PATIENTS WITH GIARDIASIS

Abstract

Giardiasis, caused by the flagellated protozoan Giardia lamblia (syn. Giardia intestinalis, Giardia duodenalis), remains a major global parasitic threat, affecting over 200 million people annually through intestinal mucosal colonization. Recent high-resolution imaging and organoid-on-a-chip studies demonstrate that Giardia trophozoite attachment induces rapid degradation of enterocyte microvilli within 6 to 12 hours of colonization.