Trichuriasis: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Trichuriasis is also whipworm infection. It is a parasitic infection caused by the worm trichuris trichiura (whipworm). If the infection is caused by only a few worms the results are not that dangerous, but if there are multiple worms causing it, then a patient goes through tiredness, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The diarrhea may sometimes contain blood. In case there are children getting affected by it, there may be poor intellectual and physical growth. There is a low level of red blood cells due to extreme blood loss.

In order to diagnose trichuriasis, the doctor must examine the stool and look for the characteristic eggs in shape of a lemon, with clear opercula at both the ends. To remove the infection from the body, a combination of albendazole or mebendazole with ivermectin is recommended by doctors. These are medications to treat parasitic infections. Treatment of loperamide is advised to increase drug contact with the parasites in people with diarrhea. There is a 90% chance of mebendazole being effective in the first dosage. Albendazole also acts as an anti-parasitic agent. Rectal prolapse and iron deficiency problems are solved by adding iron to the bloodstream. Difetarsone is also an effective treatment method.

The parasitic egg concentration is low in case of light infections. The doctors then use a special concentration technique to collect the eggs. While the trichiura eggs can be easily recognized, there are still other diseases that can be confused with whipworm infection. Parasitic protozoa like Giardia or Entamoeba histolytica may also cause diarrhea when the eggs are not found in stool. When an exact diagnosis fails, doctors treat the whipworm infections first. If the symptoms do not lessen, an in-depth investigation is needed.

Roundworm and hookworm infections can be easily treated as there are multiple treatment methods available for them. But there are not a lot many treatments available for whipworm infection. According to a study, therapy of a single dose of albendazole, produced a 93.8% ‘’reduction rate’’ of eggs and 79.3% ‘’cure rate’’ of adult worms. Nematode infections are also treated by albendazole by decreasing whipworm ATP production, which leads to exhaustion, paralysis and finally death. Albendazole is given at 400 mg per day for 3 days. Another drug which has proven to be beneficial in treating trichuriasis is mebendazole. This drug works by irreversibly or selectively blocking glucose uptake and nutrients in the intestine. This drug is given at 100 mg for 3 days. In mass treatment programs 500 mg of mebendazole is used.

A child whose weight is more than 15 kg (33 lb) is considered eligible for the treatment. Women who aren’t expecting a child anytime soon are also eligible.

Children under 15 kg (33 lb) and pregnant women are not eligible to receive the treatment. Individuals who happen to have an underlying medical condition which is not yet treated are precluded from receiving the treatment.

Side effects of this treatment are minimal. These include rectal prolapse and malnutrition. In rare cases, there are serious complications too, such as infection leading to anaemia and developmental delay in children.

After medications the patient should follow certain guidelines to ensure quick recovery. In case the patient experiences symptoms like severe pain, fever and blood in his urine, he should contact a doctor immediately. He should not skip any of the medicines that the doctor has prescribed. It is important to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. A proper diet that includes a lot of vegetables and fresh fruits is recommended by the doctor. The quantity of salt intake should be decreased. A follow up routine check with your doctor once a while is recommended. Avoiding fatty products or junk food is a must.

It may take between 15 to 30 days for the whipworm eggs to become inactive. As soon as the treatment ends, the patient recovers. It takes 3 to 5 days of medication for full recovery.

The treatment cost of trichuriasis may range from Rs. 50 to Rs. 200.

The result of the treatment can never be permanent in this case. A patient once hit with this infection is most likely to get hit by it again. If the environment remains unchanged, it is likely to reoccur every 3 months or at the least, every year.

Difetarzone treatment method is proven to be an effective alternate treatment. It is actually an antiprotozoal agent. Various studies have shown good results of this medication against the parasite. It has a history of properly treating the patients having this parasite.