What does Giardia lamblia look like under a microscope?

In bright-field microscopy, cysts appear ovoid to ellipsoid in shape and usually measure 11 to 14 µm (range: 8 to 19 µm). Immature and mature cysts have 2 and 4 nuclei, respectively. Intracytoplasmic fi brils are visible in cysts.

What technique is used to identify Giardia trophozoites?

The microscopic identification of Giardia spp. in fecal samples is considered as the gold standard method for the diagnosis of giardiasis. This method is performed to detecting cysts and trophozoites.

What is the shape of the G lamblia trophozoite?

G. lamblia has two morphological stages: the trophozoite and the cyst. The trophozoite is pear shaped, with a broad anterior and much attenuated posterior (9). It is 10-12µm long and 5-7µm wide, bilaterally symmetrical, and has two nuclei.

Are trophozoites infectious?

Cysts can survive days to weeks in the external environment and remain infectious in the environment due to the protection conferred by their walls. Trophozoites passed in the stool are rapidly destroyed once outside the body, and if ingested would not survive exposure to the gastric environment.

What is the shape of Giardia lamblia?

lamblia is pear-shaped and have unique morphology such as two identical nuclei, a ventral disc for adhesion to the host intestine, and flagella [see also #Trophozoite Structure]. The cyst is the reproductive form, and consists of a protective cyst wall as well as four nuclei.

What do trophozoites of Giardia look like?

Giardia duodenalis trophozoites are pear-shaped and measure 10-20 micrometers in length. In permanent, stained specimens, 2 large nuclei are usually visible. The sucking disks (used for attaching to the host’s mucosal epithelium), median bodies, and flagella (8) may also be seen.

What comes first cyst or trophozoite?

The life cycle is composed of 2 stages: (1) the trophozoite (see the first image below), which exists freely in the human small intestine; and (2) the cyst, which is passed into the environment.

What is Giardia lamblia?

Giardia Lamblia parasite revealed in the photomicrograph image, 2006. Image courtesy Centers for Disease Control / Janice Haney Carr. Black and white photograph of the microscopic parasite that causes Giardia, the diarrheal illness known as giardiasis image courtesy CDC/Dr Dennis…

How to identify the Giardia trophozoite?

The identification of the Giardia trophozoite or cyst is commonly done by Wet Film – i) Saline wet mount preparation for the trophozoite and the cyst and ii) Iodine preparation to observe the cyst. The staining methods which are used are the Iron-hematoxylin stain, the Trichrome stain and the Giemsa stain [5].

Can methylene blue staining detect Giardia lambliatrophozoite?

All the 15 known Giardia lambliatrophozoite positive samples were also found to be positive by the Methylene blue staining. The Giardia lambliacysts could not be stained by this method. 20 stool samples were used as negative controls. Conclusion

What is the life cycle of Giardia?

The life cycle of Giardia alternates between an actively motile trophozoite and an infective cyst. The Giardia lambliatrophozoites are pear shaped and they measure 10-20 μm in length and 5-15 μm in width. There are 4 pairs of flagella, 2 nuclei, 2 axonemes and 2 slightly curved bodies which are called median bodies.