Trichuris trichiura

Trichuris trichiura
Common Name: Whipworm; holomyarian
Flesh colored or pinkish slender worms
Anterior End
Colorless
Resembles a whip
Contains a slender esophagus
Posterior end
Contains digestive and reproductive organs
Female:
slightly larger than male measuring
3.5 to 5 cm in length;35 to 50mm
with a straight /blunt posterior end
can produce 3,000 to 10,000 eggs/ day
Male
 3 to 4.5 cm; 30 to 45 mm
the posterior end is coiled or curved
through 360º; with a single spicule &
retractile sheath
Trichuris Egg
Barrel-shaped with bipolar mucus
plug; Japanese lantern, Football
shaped; lemon-shaped
Thick-shelled; bile stained; yellowish
outer and transparent inner shell
50-54 by 22-23 microns and
discharged in the stool in an
unsegmented stage
 Important Notes
Final Habitat: Large Intestine
Soil- embryonation of the egg/ova
Mode of Transmission: Ingestion of
Embryonated Egg
Infective stage: Embryonated Egg
TT47-pore forming protein that allows
them to imbed
4 larval stages to become adult
 Pathology
 Can cause petechial hemorrhages-
predispose to amebic dysentery
 Mucosa is hyperemic and edematous
enterorrhagia or intestinal bleeding is
common
 Lumen of appendix may be filled with
worms
 Infection with over 5,000 eggs are
symptomatic
 Pathology
Blood-streaked diarrheal stools
Abdominal pain & tenderness; nausea &
vomiting
Hypoalbuminaemia
The worm is capable of causing ulceration of
the intestines which can lead to iron
deficiency anemia (IDA)
0.8 to 8.6 ml of blood is loss per day per
Trichuris
Heavy worm burden may lead to prolapse of
the rectum (RECTAL PROLAPSE)
 Pathology
 Poor appetite
 Wasting
 Stunting
 Reduced intellectual and cognitive
development in children
 Prognosis is very good
Prolapse of the rectum
Trichuris trichiura
Prolapso rectal
 Diagnosis
Direct Fecal
Smear (DFS)
 Direct Fecal Smear
Formed stool-
add one drop of
Normal Saline Solution
In the slide
Watery stool-
no need

Fecal Sample
Spread the
fecal sample
on the slide
Microscopic
Exam
*Observe for
Ascaris egg
and quantitate the ova
 EPIDEMIOLOGY
 80-90% in rural areas; temperate
and tropical countries but more
on warm, moist areas
 604 to 795 million are infected
 5 to 15 years old
 Pre-school & school-age children
 Treatment, prevention and
control
 Deworming- 3x a year for 3
years( Mebendazole, Albendazole,
Pyrantel pamoate, levamisole,
piperazine salts
 Sanitary disposal of feces
 Personal hygiene
 Avoid the use of feces as fertilizer
 Thorough cooking of food
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