[Giardia lamblia in child day care centers]

An outbreak of giardiasis affecting 27 children in a day-care center is analyzed. Examination of stools showed parasites in 67% of the affected children and in 23% of the children without symptoms. These results are compared with those obtained in another day-care center, where 9% of the stools of children 1 to 5 years old showed evidence of giardia infestation without any clinical evidence of disease. These results show the importance of person to person transmission of Giardia lamblia in day-care centers in Spain.