Trichuris trichiura Infection

Excerpt

Trichuris trichiura, also known as the human whipworm, is a roundworm that causes trichuriasis in humans. It is referred to as the whipworm because it looks like a whip with wide handles at the posterior end. The whipworm has a narrow anterior esophagus and a thick posterior anus. The worms are usually pink and attach to the host via the slender anterior end. The size of these worms varies from 3 to 5 cm. The female is usually larger than the male.

The female worm can lay anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 eggs per day. The eggs are deposited in soil from human feces. After 14 to 21 days, the eggs mature and enter an infective stage. If humans ingest the embryonated eggs, the eggs start to hatch in the human small intestine and utilize the intestinal microflora and nutrients to multiply and grow. The majority of larvae move to the cecum, penetrate the mucosa, and mature into adulthood. Infections involving a high-worm burden will typically involve distal parts of the large intestine.

Trichuriasis is 1 of 3 well-documented soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections; the other 2 are ascariasis and hookworm infection. It is considered a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Children appear to be vulnerable to the parasite and poor sanitation is associated with a heavy disease burden. In parts of Asia and Africa where hygiene conditions are lacking, the prevalence of human whipworm is very high.