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Taxonomy of Giardia Species

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Book cover Giardia

Abstract

The taxonomy of Giardia has been controversial for well over 100 years, resulting in a confusing nomenclature with different names often being used for the same species. This has led to uncertainty in our understanding of the epidemiology of Giardia infections, and particularly the question of host specificity and zoonotic transmission. The lack of morphological characters on which to base a species level taxonomy for the forms of Giardia that infect mammals has not allowed these issues to be resolved. It is only recently that PCR-based tools have been developed and applied directly to isolates of Giardia from a range of mammalian species. As a consequence, the taxonomy of Giardia can now be revised providing a more effective platform for epidemiological studies and importantly, improving communication between researchers in the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the Molecular Epidemiology of Parasitic Infections School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia

    R. C. Andrew Thompson

  2. Australian Water Quality Centre, South Australian Water Corporation, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia

    Paul T. Monis

Authors
  1. R. C. Andrew Thompson
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  2. Paul T. Monis
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina

    Hugo D. Luján PhD

  2. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Staffan Svärd PhD

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag/Wien

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Thompson, R.C.A., Monis, P.T. (2011). Taxonomy of Giardia Species. In: Luján, H.D., Svärd, S. (eds) Giardia. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0198-8_1

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