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Giardia

An illustration of Giardia parasites.
An illustration of Giardia parasites. Illustration: Science Photo Library (AP)

Giardia are tiny but hardy parasites that typically cause a nasty bout of diarrhea. Though they’re often encountered in freshwater sources such as lakes or from contact with another person’s or animal’s infected poop, they’ve been known to contaminate tropical beaches thanks to nearby sewage pollution.