Symptoms of Whipworm Infection Abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and diarrhea occur when a large number of worms are present in the colon. Weight loss, bleeding from the intestine, and anemia Overview of Anemia Anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells is low.
How do you know if you have whipworms?
To diagnose a whipworm infection, your doctor will order a stool test. You will be required to give a sample of your feces to a lab for testing. The stool test can determine whether there are whipworms or whipworm eggs in your intestines and feces. This type of test shouldn't cause any discomfort or pain.
How do we get whipworm infections?
Whipworms live in the intestine and whipworm eggs are passed in the feces (poop) of infected persons. If the infected person defecates (poops) outside—for example, near bushes, in a garden, or field—or if the feces of an infected person is used as fertilizer, then eggs are deposited on the soil.
How do you treat whipworm infection?
Whipworm is effectively treated with albendazole, mebendazole or ivermectin. Each drug needs to be taken for 3 days. Dosage guidelines are the same for children as for adults. Albendazole should be taken with food.
Can you see whipworms in stool?
Whipworms are diagnosed by finding eggs on microscopic examination of the stool. These eggs, however, are difficult to find. Whipworms pass small numbers of eggs on an inconsistent basis, therefore some samples may be falsely negative. Multiple stool samples are often required to diagnose whipworms.
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