Background: Giardia lamblia is a globally prevalent gastrointestinal parasite. Breastfeeding provides protective effects against infections, but the impact of early life stress, such as maternal separation, on G. lamblia infection remains unclear. This study examines how Maternal Separation During Breastfeeding (MSDB) affects G. lamblia infection in Wistar rats.
Results: In a Wistar rat model, MSDB led to a significant increase in G. lamblia cyst shedding, with early effects more evident in males and delayed effects in females. Additionally, infected MSDB rats showed elevated eosinophil infiltration in the intestinal mucosa-consistent with heightened immune response-along with altered villus/crypt ratios in non-infected separated animals, particularly in males.
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that maternal separation during breastfeeding intensifies the severity of G. lamblia infection. This suggests that early-life maternal interactions may play a protective role in host resistance specifically against G. lamblia, highlighting the relevance of early-life conditions in shaping outcomes of giardiasis.
Keywords: Giardia infection; Intestinal parasitic infections; Maternal separation stress; Stress-induced susceptibility.
© 2026. The Author(s).