- 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.
IN FULL
Giardiasis: UK travellers warned over parasitic stomach bug as cases soar
