Epidemiology

Frequency
United States

Whipworm infection is rare overall but is more common in the rural Southeast, where 2.2
million people are thought to be infected.
International

Whipworm infection is more common in less-developed countries. This parasite is carried by

nearly one quarter of the world population.
Mortality/Morbidity

Whipworm infection is rarely fatal and is usually asymptomatic, but symptoms may be
present in heavily infected individuals. Loose stools may be present with minimal blood with
the development of chronic anemia if bleeding is chronic. Nocturnal stooling is quite
common. Finger nail clubbing may also be present. In children, vitamin deficiencies (vitamin
A) may contribute to developmental delay and growth retardation. Rectal prolapse may occur
in heavily infected hosts.
Race

No racial predilection exists.

Sex

Boys are more likely to be infected because they are thought to eat more dirt than girls.
Age

Children are more commonly infected than adults due to poor hygiene and increased
consumption of soil. Children are also more heavily infected. Furthermore, it is widely
believed that partial protective immunity develops with age and children are not protected
initially.
Whipworm is a soil-transmitted helminth (STH) and is the third most common roundworm of
humans. Whipworm causes an infection called trichuriasis and often occurs in areas where
human feces is used as fertilizer or where defecation onto soil happens. The worms are spread
from person to person by fecal-oral transmission or through feces-contaminated food.