General Information

COMMON NAMES: Human Whipworm, Whipworm GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: RANGE Circumtropical COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, human gut SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Disease causing - moderate KEY FEATURES: Threadlike, tapering worm to 5cm. Adults live in the large intestine (=bowel), attached to the wall, feeding on the gut contents. Greyish-white. Sexes separate, usually many more females than males. Eggs spread from faeces to moist soil, develop 10-14 days; then to mouth, activated in the stomach, hatch in small intestine and attach to lining, mature in 3 months.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
+			P

Trichuris trichuria L.
SYNONYMS: Trichocephalus dispar

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; NEMATODA; ADENOPHOREA (=Aphasmidia); Stichosomida; Trichocephaloidea; TRICHURIDAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -. Comments: Eggs injected directly via hands.Generally live in the upper large intestine, spreading into the rectum in heavy infestations. Can cause diarrhoea, blood-streaked stools and anemia.
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Disease causing - moderate. Comments: A very widespread worm, common in children. Most cases have no symptoms, but a heavy infection and cause stomach-aches and colic.

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: reported by Dr Steve Kennier, 1980s, as very common among children.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM05a, zD05a

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