The Great Stomach Bug Deception

Science teams all over the world have been trying to solve the riddle of a parasite that lives in your intestine. Assessing why it is so difficult to get rid of. The bug that is named the Giardia Lamblia Gene, full name Giardia Lamblia Protozoan Parasite, is a common gut bug. Which has managed to get round the human body's natural defense mechanism, the immune system. For many years it was thought by medical institutions to be a parasitic branch. This has now been proven wrong. The bug has been studied intensely by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It has been found along with Cryptosporidium in drinking water. (pdf)

Imagine that you go outside in extremely cold weather, to find that the jacket you had just put on, was at first warm. But then you realize that the cold is still getting through, so you go back inside to get another. This time you get a better layer go back outside. The temperature drops again and you have to go back inside to get a warmer Jacket. You do this until you have the best layer to keep out the cold. Thus beating the cold weather. Well this is just how this microscopic parasite works. It changes its coat every few generations, to beat the immune system. Deceiving it so much so, that it takes a while for the immune system to catch up. Eventually the parasite will return to its previous disguise, to wear in future assaults on your stomach.

It is described as 'shuffling' which is the term used to describe how the bug is using its genetic makeup to hide from the immune system. This shuffling comes in by the way of using one of its 190 different protein coats. This has been researched by an Argentinian research team, led by Hugo Lujan. In last weeks Nature he wrote about the subject. Stating how the research has found that the parasite uses a mechanism called RNA interference, to suppress the action of the other 189 coat genes it's not using. The parasite makes short sequences of the DNA relative RNA, which are the genetic mirror image of the unused coat protein genes. These mirror image RNAs lock on to their respective coat genes, and prevent them from being expressed, keeping them in the closet so to speak.

It is not known however how this coat reshuffles its order to select these different coat. It is widely suspected that the DNA of the bug has a chemical signature, that are known as called epigenetic markers. It is these called epigenetic markers that may be responsible for the reshuffle.

What scientists hope to gain from this knowledge are new ways to treat, prevent, even cure the bug. The bug is commonly found in contaminated water. As previously disclosed, even in drinking water. Which is a main factor in how it is spread around the globe. Also watch out for unclean swimming pools, as both Cryptosopridium and Giardia love all manners of places to breed.

Sources: C.D.C., Nature Magazine, Nature.com, The Naked Scientist.