Editing Giardia (section)

==Systematics==
About 40 species have been described, but most of them are probably [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonyms]].<ref name=Meyer1979>{{cite journal|author1=Meyer E.A.|author2=Radulescu S.|year=1979|title=''Giardia'' and Giardiasis|journal=Advances in Parasitology|volume=17|pages=1–47|pmid=395833|doi=10.1016/S0065-308X(08)60548-5|isbn=978-0-12-031717-2}}</ref> Currently, five to six morphologically distinct species are recognised.<ref>{{cite book|first1=R.C.|last1=Brusca|first2=G.J.|last2=Brusca|title=Invertebrates|publisher=Sinauer Associates|edition=2|year=2003|isbn=0-87893-097-3}}</ref> ''[[Giardia duodenalis]]'' (=''G. intestinalis'', =''G. lamblia'') infect humans and other mammals, ''G. microti'' infects [[vole]]s, ''G. muris'' is found in other mammals, ''G. ardeae'' and ''G. psittaci'' in birds, and ''G. agilis'' in amphibians.<ref name=Adam01/> Other described (but not certainly valid), species include:<ref>{{cite web |title=Giardia Kunstler |date=September 2008 |work=Tree of Life Web Project |url=http://tolweb.org/Giardia/97370/2008.09.02}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*''[[Giardia ardeae]]''
*''[[Giardia beckeri]]''
*''[[Giardia beltrani]]''
*''[[Giardia botauri]]''
*''[[Giardia bovis]]''
*''[[Giardia bradypi]]''
*''[[Giardia canis]]''
*''[[Giardia caprae]]''
*''[[Giardia cati]]''
*''[[Giardia caviae]]''
*''[[Giardia chinchillae]]''
*''[[Giardia dasi]]''
*''[[Giardia equii]]''
*''[[Giardia floridae]]''
*''[[Giardia hegneri]]''
*''[[Giardia herodiadis]]''
*''[[Giardia hyderabadensis]]''
*''[[Giardia irarae]]''
*''[[Giardia marginalis]]''
*''[[Giardia melospizae]]''
*''[[Giardia nycticori]]''
*''[[Giardia ondatrae]]''
*''[[Giardia otomyis]]''
*''[[Giardia pitymysi]]''
*''[[Giardia pseudoardeae]]''
*''[[Giardia psittaci]]''
*''[[Giardia recurvirostrae]]''
*''[[Giardia sanguinis]]''
*''[[Giardia serpentis]]''
*''[[Giardia simoni]]''
*''[[Giardia sturnellae]]''
*''[[Giardia suricatae]]''
*''[[Giardia tucani]]''
*''[[Giardia varani]]''
*''[[Giardia viscaciae]]''
*''[[Giardia wenyoni]]''
*''[[Giardia dolus]]''

{{div col end}}
[[Real-time polymerase chain reaction]] (PCR) tests have been developed to detect specific species of ''Giardia''. [[Hybridization probe|Gene probe]] can also used to differentiate between species of ''Giardia''. A more common and less time-consuming means of identifying different species of ''Giardia'' includes microscopy and [[immunofluorescence]] techniques.<ref>{{harvnb|Mahbubani|1992}}</ref>

Genetic and biochemical studies have revealed the heterogeneity of ''[[Giardia duodenalis]]'', which contains probably at least eight lineages or [[cryptic species]].<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Thompson RC, Monis PT|title=Variation in Giardia: implications for taxonomy and epidemiology|journal=Advances in Parasitology|volume=58|issue=|pages=69–137|year=2004|pmid=15603762|doi=10.1016/S0065-308X(04)58002-8|isbn=978-0-12-031758-5 }}</ref>