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The gastrointestinal tract is essentially an external part of the body. This is the reason we do not have to sterilize our food, but only be sure it is clean and wholesome. Presently, the risk of being infected or infested by pathogenic organisms through food and water is ever increasing. This is due to several reasons: immigration; frequent overseas travel; importation of vegetables and fruits; lack of a public health policy to screen food handlers for transmissible pathogens; outdoor and wilderness excursions; alternate lifestyles; agricultural pollution; pets at home, etc.
Currently, World Health Organization studies indicate that about half a billion individuals are infected annually by Amoeba histolytica and a similar number of people are infected by Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Considering all parasites, more than 1/4 of the Earth’s population is infected at any one time. More serious efforts must be made to prevent, identify, and treat these widespread and debilitating infections.
Mode of transmission and who is at risk
The predominant method of transmission of parasites is the fecal–oral route through hand contact with infected individuals or via contaminated water and food. Many parasites are highly transmissible within a household environment. All family members should be tested if one member is positive for GI infection.
People with suppressed immunity, eg. T-cell (white cell) dysfunction and defects in intestinal antibody (IgA) secretion, are predisposed to protracted and heavy infections with GI pathogens. Individuals with cancer and those receiving chemotherapy for cancer are very susceptible to parasitic infection(s). Frequent and excessive overutilization of antibiotics renders the GI tract more susceptible to chronic overgrowth of harmful microorganisms. These can produce a wide range of systemic toxins and/or cause severe irritation of large areas of fragile, nutrient absorbing intestinal tissue.
Bodily functions affected by GI pathogens
Intestinal pathogen infections cannot be clinically differentiated solely on the basis of medical history, physical exam and/or symptoms. Specific diagnosis requires laboratory evaluation and confirmation. In most laboratories the general request for stool ova and parasite screening does not include the specialized testing and confirmation provided by the GI Health Panel™. Asymptomatic, mild symptomatic, and overt GI pathogen infections can affect and deter gastrointestinal function, and if undetected, will lead to chronic illness.
Treatment & Prevention
Detection and specific diagnosis of the pathogens, including a broad spectrum of microflora and common parasites is of paramount importance. This is because successful therapy is dependent on two primary issues. First, accurate and specific diagnosis of causative agent in a patient who presents with otherwise general and non-specific complaints and symptoms. Second, specific therapeutic agents can be targeted to eradicate offending microorganisms with an extremely high success rate, with minimal side effects.
RESULTS OF STOOL SPECIMENS EXAMINED FOR INTESTINAL PARASITES BY U.S. STATE PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORIES, 1987:
organism # of stool specimens w/the organism % of stool specimens w/the organism # of state labs w/the organism identified
Giardia lamblia 15,497 7.2 49
Entamoeba coli 9,146 4.2 49
Endolimax nana 9,086 4.2 47
Blastocystis hominis 5,685 2.6 31
Entamoeba hartmanni 3,069 1.4 38
Entamoeba histolytica 1,841 0.9 45
Iodamoeba buetschlii 1,275 0.6 37
Dientamoeba fragilis 1,142 0.5 24
Chilomastix mesnili 542 0.3 27
Cryptosporidium sp. 499 0.2 25
Trichomonas hominis 21 <0.1 10
Isospora belli 14 <0.1 7
Balatidium coli 7 <0.1 3
Unspecified protozoa 184 0.1 2
Prevention notes:
Observe strict personal hygiene habits
Eat cooked food, when outside your home
Wash fresh fruits and vegetables with soap
and water
Avoid drinking potentially contaminated
surface water
Before overseas travel, contact the CDC for tips
Restrict pets to designated parts of the home
Wash hands after touching pets
Gastrointestinal Health Panel™
The GI Health Panel™ is a non-invasive screen of the gastrointestinal tract and its function. It includes at least 15-22 individual, yet related tests. Stool and saliva samples are submitted by the patient after home collection.
Logic of testing
To insure high sensitivity and specifity of pathogenic organism detection, Diagnos-Techs employs a variety of methods in the GI Health Panel™ tests. These tests utilize proven biochemical and state of the art immunological testing and other methods.
The panel includes:
Pathogen screening: bacteria, fungi, yeast,
and various parasites.
Digestion related screens: enzyme levels and immunochemical markers for intolerance to common offending foods.
Intestinal function markers to evaluate irritation and inflammation; markers indicate overall status of gut immunity and integrity,
i.e. occult blood, etc.
The GI Health Panel™ strikes a balance between comprehensive screening and economy by bundling appropriate individual tests that would otherwise cost over $700 at current prices. All the tests are insurer reimbursed with the appropriate provider documentation.
Advantages and Benefits
Non-invasive sampling: saliva and stool
Home collection: no office visit
Economical and insurance reimbursable
Comprehensive: detects a broad spectrum of common pathogens and includes digestion efficiency evaluation
Improved wellness: general GI complaints identified and resolved
Modular: retesting of one or several abnormal findings is available without repeating the entire panel
Common applications of this panel
Individuals with chronic and vague GI symptoms including:
Frequent bloating, gas, cramping, and constipation
Frequent travel within US and/or overseas
Frequent eating outside the home
Homosexuals
Food handlers - to protect others
Food preparers at restaurants, homes, schools, etc.
Institutionalized individuals
Uniformed services
Dormitory Residents - common quarters
Children that go to daycare centers
Who needs the GI Health Panel™?
To determine if the GI Panel™ is appropriate for your gastrointestinal and other health problems, consult with your healthcare provider.
Get to the bottom of these complaints that keep coming back. No one enjoys heartburn, bloating, diarrhea...
You don’t have to travel to another country to contract a parasite; they are all around us, both in big cities, and in small towns
Using antibiotics without an evaluation to reveal the type of infection can results in using an inappropriate antibiotic. This can actually strengthen the offending microbes and make it more difficult and expensive to treat
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