''Trichuris discolor'', commonly known as a whipworm, is a nematode belonging to the genus ''

Trichuris ''Trichuris'', often referred to as whipworms (which typically refers to ''T. trichiura'' only in medicine, and to any other species in veterinary medicine), is a genus of parasitic worms from the roundworm family Trichuridae, which are helmin ...

''. The species was discovered by

Otto Friedrich Bernhard von Linstow Otto Friedrich Bernhard von Linstow (17 October 1842 – 3 May 1916) was a German high-ranking medical officer (''Oberstabsarzt und Regimentsarzt'') and helminthologist. Von Linstow was born in Itzehoe north west of Hamburg. He received his medical ...

in 1906 and primarily infects cows. However, they can also infect sheep and goats. Like '' Trichuris ovis'', ''T. discolor'' is known to be located in any region that their hosts are located. There have been specific reports of this species being found in Japan, Indo-Pakistan, and North America. Information regarding the species' general life cycle and egg development can be seen in the ''

'' page.

Morphology and differentiation from ''T. ovis''

Despite inhabiting the same hosts, ''T. discolor'' and ''T. ovis'' are distinct species. The size of male and female ''T. discolor'' whipworms are 33.9-50.68mm and 36.0—59.0mm respectively. The spicule of ''T. discolor'' is 0.94-1.30mm long and has a rounded tip, whereas the spicule of ''T. ovis'' is 4.18-5.62mm long and has a pointed tip. In addition to the spicule, the female sex organs can be used to differentiate the two species. ''T. ovis'' females have everted vaginas, while those of ''T. discolor'' do not. Despite these morphological differences between the two species, there are still situations where the two species cannot be easily differentiated. Therefore, the mitochondrial DNA of both species was encoded. Results confirm that the two species are indeed distinct from each other.

Symptoms and treatment

Hosts are relatively resistant to ''

'' infections and rarely display any distinct symptoms. However, severe infections can result in severe diarrhea, anorexia, recumbency, dehydration, and weight loss. Adult whipworms primarily inhabit and feed on the mucosa of the

cecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The wo ...

, which causes a thickening of the cecal wall. This prevents liquids from being absorbed, thus explaining the diarrhea. The main methods of diagnosing a host with a ''

'' infection are through fecal flotation, which detects eggs, and postmortem examination of the large intestine. Severe infections can be treated through

anthelmintic Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. They may ...

medications, such as levamisole and methylridine.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5269845 Parasitic nematodes of mammals Trichocephalida