- The UK Health Security Agency has reported 6,069 cases of giardiasis in 2025, an 11.4 per cent increase from the previous year and the highest total since 2016.
- Health officials suggest the rise in cases may be driven by post-pandemic international travel, climate change, and improved diagnostic testing.
- The parasitic bug causes symptoms such as smelly diarrhoea, stomach cramps, bloating, and weight loss, with untreated cases risking severe complications in vulnerable groups.
- Giardiasis is spread through contaminated food or water, direct contact with infected people or animals, and sexual transmission, with many cases linked to overseas travel.
- The UKHSA advises travellers to practise good hand hygiene, drink bottled water, avoid raw food washed in tap water, and abstain from swimming until two weeks after symptoms stop.
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