Trichuriasis, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

Trichuriasis, also known as whipworm infection, is an infection by the parasitic worm Trichuris trichiura (whipworm).[2] If infection is only with a few worms, there are often no symptoms.[1] In those who are infected with many worms, there may be abdominal pain, tiredness and diarrhea.[1] The diarrhea sometimes contains blood.[1] Infections in children may cause poor intellectual and physical development.[1] Low red blood cell levels may occur due to loss of blood.[2]

The disease is usually spread when people eat food or drink water that contains the eggs of these worms.[1] This may occur when contaminated vegetables are not fully cleaned or cooked.[1] Often these eggs are in the soil in areas where people defecate outside and where untreated human feces is used as fertilizer.[2] These eggs originate from the feces of infected people.[1] Young children playing in such soil and putting their hands in their mouths also become infected easily.[1] The worms live in the large bowel and are about four centimetres in length.[2] Whipworm is diagnosed by seeing the eggs when examining the stool with a microscope.[3] Eggs are barrel-shaped.[8] Trichuriasis belongs to the group of soil-transmitted helminthiases.