Beaver fever and Giardia

The parasite is swallowed and settles in the small intestine. It can spread through untreated drinking water, food handled by an infected person, contaminated objects, or contact with infected stool. The nickname does not mean that beavers are the only source; wildlife, people, and contaminated water can all be involved.

Common problems include watery or greasy diarrhoea, gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and fatigue. Symptoms may begin after an exposure and can continue if the infection is not assessed. A person can carry Giardia without obvious symptoms and still spread it through poor hand hygiene.

Use bottled, boiled, or properly treated water when the safety of a source is uncertain. Wash hands with soap after toileting or changing nappies, and before eating. Keep separate towels during illness, clean bathroom surfaces, and avoid preparing meals for others while diarrhoea continues.

A healthcare professional may test stool samples. Treatment depends on the clinical picture and local medical advice; do not take leftover antibiotics or someone else’s medicine.

Contact a clinician if diarrhoea lasts, returns, follows untreated-water exposure, or is accompanied by weight loss or marked tiredness. Get urgent help for fainting, confusion, severe dehydration, blood in stool, or vomiting that prevents drinking. Young children and people with reduced immune defences need a lower threshold for assessment.

Ask which tests can confirm Giardia, whether household members need advice, how to protect others, and what foods and drinks are easiest to tolerate while your bowel settles.