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The human whipworm is a small roundworm that usually parasitizes in the human large intestine and is present in several percent of people. The length of the parasite is about 50 mm in length, and the males are slightly smaller than the females. A person becomes infected with whipworm through the consumption of mature invasive eggs.
What is a whipworm?
Whipworm, otherwise known as trichuriasis, is a dangerous parasitic disease that infects a person, for example, when traveling to tropical countries (especially to the Caribbean and South Africa). The cause of the disease is the human whipworm (Trichuris trichiura, Trichocephalus trichiurus)
The length of the parasite is about 30-50 mm, and the males are more than the females. The front part of the parasites has a thread-like shape and it is through it that adult parasites penetrate the mucosa of the cecum or large intestine, collecting food from there. According to some researchers, the human whipworm can survive for up to five years.
Females of the parasite lay up to five thousand eggs each day, which are then excreted outside along with the host’s faeces (eggs are not able to infect immediately after excretion). Then, in a humid environment with oxygen, the eggs mature, eventually reaching the invasive stage. How quickly the parasite grows depends on the environment and temperature, and this period can vary from ten days to several months. The larva inside the egg shell retains its viability for up to several months.
Whipworm – causes
Man becomes infected with whipworm after eating invasive eggs, i.e. those in which the larvae have already developed. Typically, this happens through:
- transferring eggs to the mouth with dirty hands,
- eating dirty / unwashed fruit and vegetables,
- drinking water contaminated with them, etc.
The whipworm larva sheds the egg shell in the human gastrointestinal tract and moves to the large intestine, where it develops sexually in about five weeks. The parasite usually lives in larger groups (some even have a thousand individuals). The organism reacts differently to the presence of the parasite, it depends on the host’s reaction and the intensity of the infestation.
Symptoms of the whipworm
With a small number of parasites, no disease symptoms are found, the infection is relatively mild. In turn, intense parasite infestation causes symptoms such as:
- abdominal pain in the area of the cecum;
- mucous diarrhea which may have a small amount of blood present;
- nausea;
- abdominal bloating and vomiting unrelated to food intake;
- aches and pains;
- allergic reactions;
- colic;
- dizziness;
- nervous hyperactivity;
- children may become unconscious;
- progressive weakness;
- insomnia;
- emaciation and anemia;
- convulsions may appear;
- depression may appear.
In some patients, whipworm disease can lead to anemia due to bleeding from the mucosa. In addition, appendicitis and peptic ulcer symptoms may appear.
How do we recognize whipworms?
The diagnosis of whipworm infection in humans is based on the presence of eggs in the stool with the help of a collected sample. The parasites themselves are usually not found in the stool as they are firmly attached to the intestinal wall with a hairline, and colonoscopy is also performed in some patients.
Whipworm – treatment
Treatment of the whipworm is relatively difficult, because the parasites penetrate the intestinal wall very deeply and show little sensitivity to the preparations taken. The implemented parasitic drugs are:
- ivermectin,
- albendazole,
- mebendazol (Vermox).
Can you prevent whipworms?
The prevention of whipworm mainly consists in:
- taking care of personal hygiene (frequent washing of hands, e.g. before eating),
- securing soil and water against possible entry of whipworm eggs,
- thorough washing of consumed fruit and vegetables,
- prophylactic (twice a year) cleansing the body of toxins and parasites.