**9. Conclusions**

Based on this information, it should be solved how to make these sources not harmful for humans and implement the necessary treatments for decreasing or eradicating giardiasis

Using the concentrations reported in the literature, annual risk by giardiasis was calcu-

It has been proven that the use of effective removal treatments for *Giardia* in water decreases the risk of acquiring the disease considerably. According to Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), a series of requirements for superficial and underwater treatments were developed,

The stabilization ponds are biological treatment systems that consist of excavated deposits with the sufficient surface and volume to provide the treatment periods; depending on oxygen requirements, the artificial lagoons can be aerobic, facultative, and anaerobic; it has been reported that these lagoons eliminate up to 2 logarithmic units of *Giardia* cysts. Stabilization ponds are the most conventional and it does not reach the minimum requirements for cyst removal according to the EPA; only does aerobic digestion reach 1.3 log of *Giardia* removal [11]; as to the water treatment with coagulation-flocculation only two logarithmic units of

Currently, the best *Giardia* cyst removal treatments consist of using activated mud together with UV disinfection, with which 3.6 logarithmic units of cyst removal are reached [79]. The future bets on removing water contaminants by nanotechnological compounds, for example, nanocompounds of clay polymers and nanoadsorbents based on carbon and polymerics.

After water, the most important infection route with *Giardia* cysts is by food. The infections caused by these parasites are greatly the result of bad hygiene of the person responsible for food preparation. *Giardia* is always found coinfecting with other microorganisms, such as

The consumption of raw food increases the risk of infection, which is why international recommendations exist to provide innocuousness in food preparation. It is especially important to (1) practice adequate hand hygiene for protection against this parasite; (2) buy food

into account [71], and then the exponential model equation P<sup>i</sup> = 1−exp(−*rN*)

which specify a removal or minimum inactivation of 3 log for *Giardia* [61].

Besides being effective, these compounds are economic [80].

*Cryptosporidium*, *Vibrio cholerae*, and *Rotavirus* [81].

), a consumption exposure of 1.46 L was taken

was used where

risk.

156 Current Topics in Giardiasis

**7.1. Water**

**7.2. Food**

lated. To estimate infection probabilities (P<sup>i</sup>

**7. Treatments decrease giardiasis risk**

*r* = 0.0199 [72] (**Table 5**).

removal were achieved [78].

*Giardiasis* outbreak studies have been reported worldwide with occurrence of *Giardia* cysts values up to still 100%; however, a continuous environmental examination is expensive, and it does not offer the necessary information about giardiasis reduction. QMRA is an approach indicated for determining risk infection probability due to pollution with cysts in water, food, soil, and air. It permits researching about the probable cause of pollution and the adequate treatment process. The high capacity of *Giardia* to infect (because of the large number of oocysts in the environment and the low dose necessary to infect) turns it into a serious world health risk. Therefore, it is important to create correct worldwide regulations designed for developing safety measurements of water, soil, air, and food sources.
