.
Within a significant genetic divers
ity consisting of 7 genotypes of
Giardia intestinalis
; assem-
blage A and B genotypes have been suggested to ha
ve different host specificities and variable path-
ogenicity in humans. Assemblages are highly variable
with regard to the genetic features of each
genotype. A total of 89 fecal samples were collect
ed from patients who sought medical consultation
for abdominal pain in the West Bank, Palestine.
Giardia
positive samples
were assessed microscop-
ically and where genotyped to assemblage level
by direct sequencing and subcloning for both
triosephosphate isomerase and
β
-giardin gene markers.
G. intestinalis
were detected in 12 samples;
9 samples were belonging to assemblage A and 3 samples were belonging to assemblage B. A sin-
gle genotype was identified from all assemblage A samples, whereas 2 to 4 subgenotypes were con-
firmed in each of assemblage B samples. No mi
xed genotypes (inter-assemblages) were found in
any sample. This study revealed the contrasting
genetic diversity that supports the separate-species
notion for assemblage A and B genotypes; it also hi
ghlights the need to investigate assemblage B
genotype more thoroughly, as has been the case for assemblage A genotype.