{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]],"date-time":"2026-10-17T02:00:58Z","timestamp":1792202458179,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771372800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771459200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":1,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004569","name":"Ministerstwo Edukacji i Nauki","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["DWD\/6\/0469\/2022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["DWD\/6\/0469\/2022"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004569","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Parasitol Res"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    <jats:italic>Giardia intestinalis<\/jats:italic>\n                    is one of the most common intestinal protozoa worldwide, yet its true occurrence is challenging to estimate due to frequent asymptomatic or nonspecific presentations and limited diagnostic access. Epidemiological data from high-income Central European countries remain scarce. This study aimed to assess the proportion of\n                    <jats:italic>G. intestinalis<\/jats:italic>\n                    infections and to identify environmental, behavioral, anthropometric, and clinical correlates across age groups in Poland.\u00a0A cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted among 518 individuals presenting for parasitological stool examination at a certified diagnostic laboratory. Participants provided stool samples and completed standardized epidemiological and clinical questionnaires. Associations between exposures, anthropometric variables, and symptoms and infection status were analyzed using \u03c7\u00b2 tests and logistic regression, stratified by age (children, adolescents, younger adults, older adults).\u00a0\n                    <jats:italic>G. intestinalis<\/jats:italic>\n                    infection was identified in 24.7% of participants in this clinically referred, self-selected cohort. Due to the sampling method, this value cannot be generalized to the general population. In the total cohort, self-reported bloating, supplement intake, and having children in preschool or primary school were associated with lower infection odds, whereas constipation increased risk; however, these associations likely reflect cohort-specific behavioral and clinical characteristics rather than causal effects. Age-specific patterns were observed: in younger adults (18\u201340 years), previous giardiasis and pet ownership were significant risk factors, while dietary changes were protective. In adults\u2009&gt;\u200940 years, infection correlated with anthropometric measures and supplement intake, the latter showing an opposite direction of association relative to the overall cohort. Symptom profiles varied by age, with gastroesophageal complaints in children, oligosymptomatic presentation in younger adults, and constipation with systemic symptoms in older adults.\u00a0A high proportion of\n                    <jats:italic>G. intestinalis<\/jats:italic>\n                    infections was observed among individuals undergoing parasitological diagnostics in Poland. These findings reflect patterns within a clinically referred population and do not provide estimates of national prevalence. The observed age-dependent symptom profiles and associations with behavioral and host-related factors highlight the need for improved diagnostic vigilance in clinical settings. Population-based studies using representative sampling and standardized diagnostics are required to determine prevalence in the general population and clarify causal pathways.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-026-08631-3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T21:03:56Z","timestamp":1771448636000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Analysis of environmental risk factors, prevalence, and associated symptoms of Giardia intestinalis infection across age groups in Poland:\u00a0a survey-based study"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"125","author":[{"given":"Sylwia","family":"Klimczak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kacper","family":"Packi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alicja","family":"Rudek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marcin","family":"Kurowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Agnieszka","family":"\u015aliwi\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"8631_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.00024-19","volume":"34","author":"RD Adam","year":"2021","unstructured":"Adam RD (2021) Giardia duodenalis: biology and pathogenesis. Clin Microbiol Rev 34:e00024. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/CMR.00024-19","journal-title":"Clin Microbiol Rev"},{"key":"8631_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2076","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms12102076","volume":"12","author":"HS Al-Rashidi","year":"2024","unstructured":"Al-Rashidi HS, El-Wakil ES (2024) Parasites and microbiota: dual interactions and therapeutic perspectives. Microorganisms 12:2076. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/microorganisms12102076","journal-title":"Microorganisms"},{"key":"8631_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"910","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.20-0187","volume":"104","author":"S Belkessa","year":"2021","unstructured":"Belkessa S, Ait-Salem E, Laatamna A, Houali K, S\u00f6nksen UW, Hakem A, Bouchene Z, Ghalmi F, Stensvold CR (2021) Prevalence and clinical manifestations of giardia intestinalis and other intestinal parasites in children and adults in Algeria. 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Diagnostics 14:364. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/diagnostics14040364","journal-title":"Diagnostics"}],"container-title":["Parasitology Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00436-026-08631-3","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s00436-026-08631-3.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s00436-026-08631-3.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T18:27:32Z","timestamp":1781634452000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s00436-026-08631-3"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"references-count":25,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]}},"alternative-id":["8631"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00436-026-08631-3","relation":{},"ISSN":["0932-0113","1432-1955"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0932-0113","type":"print"},{"value":"1432-1955","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"assertion":[{"value":"29 September 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"16 January 2026","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"18 February 2026","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"This retrospective survey-based study involving human participants was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The Local Bioethics Committee at the Medical University of Lodz approved this study (approval number: RNN\/27\/25\/KE, dated January 18, 2025). Informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal guardians.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical approval"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}},{"value":"Clinical trial number: not applicable.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Clinical trial registration"}}],"article-number":"28"}}