Trichuriasis Whipworm Infection

What is whipworm infection How do whipworms affect Who should I contact, if I and what causes it? my animal? suspect whipworms? Whipworms are a family of parasites In animals, most cases of In Animals – that cause a disease called trichuriasis whipworm infestation have no signs Contact your veterinarian. (trick-eer-eye-ah-sis). Worm larvae of illness. Some animals may be in In Humans – and adults can live in the intestine of poor condition (rough hair coat, thin Contact your physician. animals or people and cause intestinal body) or have reduced performance. How can I protect my animal disease. The adult worms lay eggs, Heavy parasite infestations (large from whipworms? which are shed in the feces of infested number of worms) can cause diarrhea, The best prevention is to house individuals and can serve to further with or without blood, weight loss, animals in a manner to minimize spread the disease. Whipworms are and poor body condition. In these exposure to contaminated soil and found worldwide, especially in warm, cases, the worms can also cause that facilitates cleaning and feces humid climates. blood loss or anemia. removal. Animal waste should be What animals get Can I get whipworms? removed from aimal housing areas whipworms? Humans can get whipworms by frequently. Whipworms are found in domestic ingesting soil or water contaminated How can I protect myself and wild canine species (e.g. dogs, by the feces of infected animals or from whipworms? coyotes, and wolves). They can also people. Most cases in humans do be found in domestic and wild pigs. not show symptoms of illness. Heavy Good hygiene and treatment Other animal species, including, infections can cause gastrointestinal of infected animals will reduce the non-human primates can also get signs, especially in children. These can chance of human exposure. Children whipworms. include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and should not be allowed to play in areas contaminated with animal feces. Different species of whipworms rectal prolapse; growth retardation is Hand-washing after playing with pets infest different species of animals. also possible. is important. Whipworms that infect dogs and pigs are not the same; there is no For More Information transmission of whipworms between these two species. CFSPH Technical Fact Sheets. Trichuriasis. at http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/ How can my animal get DiseaseInfo/ whipworms? Whipworms CDC website. Whipworm infection at http:// are parasites that cause www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/html/trichuriasis. Animals get whipworms by htm ingesting worm eggs which develop intestinal problems into larval then adult worms. Eggs in animals. are passed in the feces of an infested Humans can ingest the animal and this contamination of worm eggs from fecally the environment is the source of contaminated soil. exposure for other animals. Under ideal conditions, whipworm eggs can survive in the environment for years.

Center photos shows whip shaped adult worms and microscopic egg (small square).

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