VIASURE Giardia lamblia Real Time PCR Detection Kit is designed for specific identification of Giardia lamblia in human stool samples from patients with signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal infection.

This test is intended for use as an aid in the diagnosis of Giardia lamblia infection in humans in combination with clinical and epidemiological risk factors.

DNA is extracted from stool specimens, multiplied using Real Time amplification and detected using specific primers and a fluorescent reporter dye probe for Giardia lamblia.

Six species have been identified in the Giardia genus, which infect the small intestine of a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including mammals, birds and amphibians. Among them, Giardia lamblia (synonyms are Giardia duodenalis and Giardia intestinalis) is a common protozoan parasite with a characteristic “happy-face” look, which contributes to the enormous burden of diarrheal diseases with over 250 million symptomatic human infections per year.

Infection occurs by the faecal-oral route transmission, either through direct contact or by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Symptoms of giardiasis normally begin 1 to 3 weeks after a person has been infected. Diarrhea is the major symptom of the disease but the clinical manifestations vary; from non-symptomatic infections to severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating and flatulence often accompanied by nausea and weight loss.

Giardia lamblia can be subdivided based on molecular analysis into different genetic assemblages (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G), being the humans infected by assemblages A and B in particular. A target gene frequently employed for the specific detection of Giardia lamblia is the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) (18S rRNA) gene.