An intestinal flagellate protozoa of humans and other animals causing giardiasis which mayoften present as a long-lasting, chronic malabsorptive diarrhoea. Syn. include G. intestinalis and G. lamblia.
n. a genus of parasitic pear-shaped protozoa inhabiting the human small intestine. They have four pairs of *flagella, two nuclei, and two sucking discs used for attachment to the intestinal wall. Giardia is usually harmless but may occasionally cause diarrhoea (see giardiasis).... giardia
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