Overview

Giardia and Cryptosporidium account for nearly all waterborne intestinal parasitic infections in the U.S. Infections are particularly common during the warmer months, and person-to-person transmission is facilitated by recreational water supplies including swimming pools. Daycare centers are also common sites for small outbreaks of parasitic diarrheal illness.

The Problem

The symptoms of both Giardia and Cryptosporidium are similar to other common diarrheal illnesses, making differential diagnosis difficult. They are often underreported and may go undiagnosed due to the low yield of traditional testing methods. Without a specific diagnosis physicians are likely to prescribe antibiotics empirically.

Consequences

Empiric treatment with antibiotics increases the risk of developing a downstream infection such as C. difficile and also increases the expansion of antimicrobial resistance. Under-diagnosis and under-reporting may delay the detection of an outbreak. Accurate diagnosis of cryptosporidium is essential in immune-compromised patients, as the disease can become a chronic life-threatening condition.

Rapid Testing

Rapid immunoassay testing is proven to be much more sensitive than traditional microscopy methods of detection. Rapid testing provides decreased hands-on time and turnaround time for results. The identification of positive patients is more accurate, allowing pathogen-targeted treatment rather than empiric antibiotic use. The GIARDIA/CRYPTOSPORIDIUM QUIK CHEK combines tests for both giardia and cryptosporidium in a single cassette, delivering simultaneous results for the two most common intestinal parasitic infections.

Alere GIARDIA/CRYPTOSPORIDIUM QUIK CHEK

The new GIARDIA/CRYPTOSPORIDIUM QUIK CHEK test improves upon traditional testing methods by eliminating complicated, labor-intensive processes all while maintaining high levels of accuracy.

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