How does infection occur?
Whipworm eggs are shed in the feces of an infected person and mature in warm, moist soil for several weeks. Only then do they become infectious. A person swallows them with poorly washed vegetables, herbs, berries, unboiled water, or puts them into his mouth with dirty hands. In the intestine, a larva emerges from the egg, which penetrates the mucous membrane and turns into an adult worm in one to three months. The lifespan of the parasite is several years, so without treatment the infestation persists for a long time. Direct infection from person to person does not occur.
- Unwashed vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries
- Water from ditches, wells, open sources
- Dirty hands after working with earth and sand
- Children playing in the sandbox and in the garden
- Fertilizing the garden with undisinfected feces
- Flies as carriers of eggs onto food
Symptoms
The severity of complaints directly depends on the number of parasites. With single worms, a person does not feel anything, and eggs are found by chance. With moderate invasion, periodic pain appears in the right half of the abdomen, rumbling, unstable stool, and loss of appetite. Massive invasion in children occurs as chronic colitis with frequent loose stools, mucus and streaks of blood, and painful urges. Chronic blood loss leads to iron deficiency anemia, which leads to pallor, fatigue, and decreased attention at school.
- Abdominal pain, usually in the right iliac region
- Unstable stool, alternating diarrhea and constipation
- Mucus and blood streaks in stool
- Decreased appetite, nausea, bloating
- Pallor, weakness, dizziness with anemia
- Irritability, poor sleep, decreased academic performance in children
- Rectal prolapse with severe infection in children
Why is it dangerous in children?
Children become infected more often than adults and endure the invasion more severely, because with the same number of worms, the loss of blood and nutrients for a small organism is greater. Long-term iron deficiency affects growth, physical development and the ability to concentrate. With a very large number of parasites, the constant urge to defecate and straining lead to prolapse of the rectal mucosa. In addition, trichuriasis is often combined with other helminthiasis, so the examination is usually expanded.
- Iron deficiency anemia and protein deficiency
- Poor growth and weight gain
- Decreased attention and performance
- Rectal prolapse
- Frequent combination with ascariasis and giardiasis
- Increased susceptibility to intestinal infections
Diagnostics
The main method is to detect characteristic eggs in the stool. Since the release of eggs is uneven, the test is taken three times with an interval of several days, otherwise a light infestation is easy to miss. The coprogram shows mucus, leukocytes and red blood cells. A complete blood count reveals anemia and sometimes a slight increase in eosinophils, although with trichocephalosis it is less pronounced than with other helminthiases. During colonoscopy performed for other reasons, adult worms are sometimes seen directly on the mucous membrane.
- Feces for helminth eggs, three times
- Coprogram
- General clinical blood test
- Ferritin and iron for suspected anemia
- Feces for occult blood
- Colonoscopy according to indications
Treatment and prevention
Treatment is carried out with anthelmintic drugs, which are selected by the doctor taking into account age and weight. Whipworm is less susceptible to treatment than some other helminths, so the course can be longer, and after a few weeks a control stool test is required. At the same time, anemia is treated with iron supplements and diet is adjusted. The whole family needs to be examined and, if necessary, treated, otherwise re-infection is almost inevitable. Folk remedies, garlic enemas and dietary supplements do not kill the parasite and only delay effective treatment.
- Anthelmintic drug in a course prescribed by a doctor
- Control stool analysis after two to four weeks
- Iron supplements for anemia
- Examination of family members
- Thorough washing of vegetables, herbs and fruits, dousing with boiling water
- Boiled or bottled water
- Washing hands after going outside, gardening and before eating
- Short nails in children, regular change of linen