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Nematode - Trichuris trichiura
Trichuris trichiura
Life cycle:
- Eggs are ingested
- Larvae hatch and move to colon
- In the cecum and ascending colon, adults lay eggs
- Eggs are excreted in feces, contaminate more soil
Clinical:
- Illness is in proportion to worm burden, although secondary bacterial infection can occur.
- If the worm burden is high, patients experience pain, abdomen distention, bloody diarrhea, malnutrition, anemia, and, rectal prolapse from the mechanical strain of diarrhea (this is especially common in children).
- Diagnosis – bile-stained eggs with polar plugs in feces.