Treatment is with three days of the medication: albendazole, mebendazole or ivermectin. People often become infected again after treatment.Whipworm infection affected about 464 million in 2015. It is most common in tropical countries. Those infected with whipworm often also have hookworm and ascariasis infections. These diseases have a large effect on the economy of many countries. Work is ongoing to develop a vaccine against the disease. Trichuriasis is classified as a neglected tropical disease. Signs and symptoms
Light infestations (<100 worms) frequently have no symptoms. Heavier infestations, especially in small children, can present gastrointestinal problems including abdominal pain and distension, bloody or mucus-filled diarrhea, and tenesmus (feeling of incomplete defecation, generally accompanied by involuntary straining). Mechanical damage to the intestinal mucosa may occur, as well as toxic or inflammatory damage to the intestines of the host. While appendicitis may be brought on by damage and edema of the adjacent tissue, if there are large numbers of worms or larvae present, it has been suggested that the embedding of the worms into the ileocecal region may also make the host susceptible to bacterial infection. A severe infection with high numbers of embedded worms in the rectum leads to edema, which can cause rectal prolapse, although this is typically only seen in small children. The prolapsed, inflamed and edematous rectal tissue may even show visible worms.Physical growth delay, weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, and anemia (due to long-standing blood loss) are also characteristic of infection, and these symptoms are more prevalent and severe in children.
Also, it is a public health concern that rates of post-treatment re-infection need to be determined and addressed to diminish the incidence of untreated re-infection. Lastly, with mass drug administration strategies and improved diagnosis and prompt treatment, detection of an emergence of antihelminthic drug resistance should be examined.Mass Drug Administration (preventative chemotherapy) has had a positive effect on the disease burden of trichuriasis in East and West Africa, especially among children, who are at highest risk for infection. Sanitation
Infection can be avoided by proper disposal of human feces, avoiding fecal contamination of food, not eating soil, and avoiding crops fertilized with untreated human feces. Simple and effective proper hygiene such as washing hands and food is recommended for control.Improved facilities for feces disposal have decreased the incidence of whipworm. Handwashing before food handling, and avoiding ingestion of soil by thorough washing of food that may have been contaminated with egg-containing soil are other preventive measures. In addition to washing, it is also advisable to peel and/or cook fruits and vegetables. Improvement of sanitation systems, as well as improved facilities for feces disposal, have helped to limit defecation onto soil and contain potentially infectious feces from bodily contact.A study in a Brazilian urban centre demonstrated a significant reduction in prevalence and incidence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis, including trichuriasis, following implementation of a citywide sanitation program.