Whipworm infection historical perspective
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aravind Kuchkuntla, M.B.B.S[2]
Overview
In 1761, Roederer described whipworm for the first time.
Historical Perspective
Whipworm and Humans: An evolutionary perspective
- Since the evolution of humans and the genus Homo for the past four million years, there has been continuous contact with many parasites.
- Parasites infecting humans today may have different evolutionary origin and can be broadly sub-divided into two groups:
- 1) Parasites transmitted to humans through primate common ancestors and are referred to as “heirloom.”
- 2) Parasites acquired more recently through contact with animals (e.g. during animal domestication in the Neolithic period roughly 10,000 years ago) and are referred to as “souvenirs.”[1]
- The human whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) is generally considered "heirloom" since it is found in the African non-human primates, and parasite eggs were found in human fossilized faeces in archaeological sites before animal domestication and before the Columbian colonization.[2]
Demographic History
- Discovery of whipworm in different parts of the world may be explained by human migrations to various parts of the world.
- The origin of human Trichuris is believed to be in Africa, where the parasite was transmitted to humans through early ancestors of primates, while pigs evolved in China, where they presumably acquired whipworms.
- In 1761, Roederer described whipworm for the first time.[3]
- In 1771, Carl Linnaeus coined the binomial name for human whipworm as Trichuris trichiura.
References
- ↑ Cox FE (2002). "History of human parasitology". Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 15 (4): 595–612. PMC 126866. PMID 12364371.
- ↑ Cox FE (2002). "History of human parasitology". Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 15 (4): 595–612. PMC 126866. PMID 12364371.
- ↑ Tokmak N, Koc Z, Ulusan S, Koltas IS, Bal N (2006). "Computed tomographic findings of trichuriasis". World J Gastroenterol. 12 (26): 4270–2. PMC 4087392. PMID 16830393.