Giardiasis:
Beavers Not Entirely to Blame
by Richard Hoppe, Regional Wildlife Biologist, MDIFW
While duck hunting, I paddled up through Portage
Lake to a section of the Floating Islands offering great
opportunity for pass shooting. Two days later after a very
successful hunt, I experienced extreme intestinal discomfort
with abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and nausea and at one
point noises from my abdomen were so loud that my dog
barked at them. When I told others of my discomfort, they
offered their own story about Giardiasis (Gee-are-DI-a-sis),
a medical name for this parasitic intestinal infection often
referred to as “beaver fever”. The actual “bug” or parasite
is Giardia lamblia, and often referred to as just Giardia.
During the past 2 decades, Giardia has become recognized
as one of the most common causes of waterborne disease
(drinking and recreational) in humans in the United
States and throughout the world. The incubation period
in humans is 1 to 25 days; with most infections become
clinically apparent after 7 to 10 days.
Gia