Video:Trichuriasis

Trichuriasis (Tutorial)
File:En.Video-Trichuriasis.webm
Commons / NC
Steps for video creation
Step 1	Preview my changes (10 sec)
Step 2	Upload to Commons (10 min)

Edit with VisualEditor

Description

Trichuriasis is an infection by the parasitic worm Trichuris trichiura (whipworm). If infection is only with a few worms, there are often no symptoms. In those who are infected with many worms, there may be abdominal pain, tiredness and diarrhea. The diarrhea sometimes contains blood. Infections in children may cause poor intellectual and physical development. Low red blood cell levels may occur due to loss of blood.The highest clearance rates are obtained by combining mebendazole or albendazole with ivermectin.

Presentation

Physical growth delay, weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, and anemia (due to long-standing blood loss) are characteristic of infection, and these symptoms are more prevalent and severe in children than adults.

Cause

Trichuriasis is caused by a parasitic worm also known as a helminth called Trichuris trichiura. It belongs to the genus Trichuris, formerly known as Trichocephalus, meaning hair head, which would be a more accurate name; however the generic name is now Trichuris, which means hair tail. Infections by parasitic worms are known as helminthiasis.

Transmission

Humans can become infected with the parasite due to ingestion of infective eggs by mouth contact with hands or food contaminated with egg-carrying soil. However, there have also been rare reported cases of transmission of T. trichiura by sexual contact. Some major outbreaks have been traced to contaminated vegetables (due to presumed soil contamination).

Create	Apply Ken Burns effect

Mechanism

Unembryonated eggs are passed in the feces of a previous host to the soil. In the soil, these eggs develop into a 2-cell stage and then into an advanced cleavage stage. Once at this stage, the eggs embryonate and then become infective, a process that occurs within a month. Next, the infective eggs are ingested by way of soil-contaminated hands or food and hatch inside the small intestine, releasing larvae into the gastrointestinal tract. These larvae burrow into a villus and develop into adults . They then migrate into the cecum and ascending colon where they thread their anterior portion into the tissue mucosa and reside permanently for their year-long lifespan.

file	{{{file}}}
Annotate	Annotate Image

Diagnosis

A stool ova and parasites exam reveals the presence of typical whipworm eggs. Typically, the Kato-Katz thick-smear technique is used for identification of the Trichuris trichiura eggs in the stool sample.Although colonoscopy is not typically used for diagnosis, as the adult worms can be overlooked, especially with imperfect colon, there have been reported cases in which colonoscopy has revealed adult worms. Colonoscopy can directly diagnose trichuriasis by identification of the threadlike form of worms with an attenuated, whip-like end.