Question

A case of giardiasis typically presents with which of the following?

• A. Nausea and vomiting
• B. Abdominal pain
• C. Steatorrhea and flatulence
• D. All of the above

Hint:

This malabsorptive protozoal infection produces several upper-GI symptoms at once.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Giardiasis is caused by Giardia lamblia, a protozoan whose trophozoites adhere to the small intestinal epithelium and interfere with absorption without invading the mucosa.

Step 2: The resulting clinical picture is broad. Patients can have diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, and because of malabsorption, fatty stools (steatorrhea). All of the symptom groups listed in the options therefore occur.

Step 3: Since nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and steatorrhea with flatulence are all recognised features, the correct answer is all of the above. Importantly, fever and blood or mucus in the stool are absent in giardiasis and would point to a different diagnosis such as an invasive infection.