Do I need to collect three samples on different days?

That is the old microscopy protocol. Molecular testing is far more sensitive on a single specimen.

Is Giardia treatable?

Yes, with targeted therapy — nitroimidazoles appear in the guidance. The physician chooses.

Can I get it in the US?

Yes — from recreational water, contaminated water sources, and person-to-person spread. It is not only a travel disease.

Could Your Persistent Diarrhea Be a Parasite?

Medically reviewed by our MD Laboratory Director (a role required by CLIA; the director's name is on file in the CMS CLIA database, #45D2048957, and can be verified independently) · Editorial policy

Molecular fluorescence imaging — Auspicious Laboratory, Houston

Weeks of diarrhea and every culture negative? Nobody was looking for parasites.CLIA #45D2048957 · CAP #8722734 · Same-day results · Walk-ins welcome

Very possibly. Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba histolytica are common causes of diarrhea that lasts weeks — and standard stool culture does not test for any of them. Traditional ova-and-parasite microscopy is insensitive and operator-dependent. Molecular detection finds them the same day.

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📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808

3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome

The pattern that should trigger this

Clue	Suspect
Diarrhea > 1–2 weeks, bloating, foul-smelling greasy stool, weight loss	Giardia
Watery diarrhea, recreational water or a pool, immunocompromised	Cryptosporidium
Bloody diarrhea, travel to an endemic area, liver abscess	Entamoeba histolytica
Recent international travel	Traveler's diarrhea

Giardia is frequently missed for months. Patients get labeled with IBS while an eminently treatable parasite is sitting in their small intestine.

Go to an emergency department, not a lab, if you have: bloody diarrhea with fever, severe abdominal pain, signs of dehydration, a rigid abdomen, or you are an infant, elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised and deteriorating.

We name drugs, never doses. Treatment statements follow ACG, AGA, IDSA and CDC guidance; dose and duration are a physician's decision.

Same day, start to finish. Sample by 1:00 PM → results at 4:30 PM → if treatment is clinically appropriate, a licensed physician in our partner network sees you between 4:30 and 6:00 PM, a few minutes away. That window is reserved for patients tested here, and your slot is held the moment we take your sample — the slot is held, not hunted. On your own, a same-day appointment is nearly impossible; at an urgent care, you wait in the queue. STAT: ~2 hours, sample in by 3:00 PM.

FAQ

Do I need to collect three samples on different days?: That is the old microscopy protocol. Molecular testing is far more sensitive on a single specimen.
Is Giardia treatable?: Yes, with targeted therapy — nitroimidazoles appear in the guidance. The physician chooses.
Can I get it in the US?: Yes — from recreational water, contaminated water sources, and person-to-person spread. It is not only a travel disease.
How fast is the result?: Same day at 4:30 PM.

Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808

3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome

References

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