Reduced prevalence of Giardia duodenalis in iron-deficient Rwandan children

Objective Acute symptomatic infection with Giardia duodenalis impairs iron absorption, but iron deficiency may protect against infections caused by various micro-organisms including parasites. We therefore examined the association of G. duodenalis infection and iron deficiency in 575 Rwandan children under 5 years of age. Methods Giardia duodenalis infection was diagnosed by triplicate microscopy and PCR assays, and iron deficiency was defined as a ferritin concentration