1- Genus: Trichuris Trichura. Also known as whipworm causes trichuriasis. Distribution: It has a world wide distribution, but most commonly found in worm arias. Habitat: large intestine. Transmission: 1- T. trichura spread by faecal (ingestion) pollution of the soil and water, 2- Unclean vegetables. 3- Contaminated fingers especially children. Morphology: 1 -The infective stage is the EGG which is yellow-brown in colour and measures about 50x 25µm. has a characteristic barrel shape with a colorless mucoid plug at each end and unsegmented ovum. 2- Adult: - called the whip because of its shape. - Female: 35-50 mm in length. - Male: 30-45 mm in length, with posterior spiracle (male sex organs). Infection and pathology: 1- Usually early infection causes abdominal pain and chronic watery diarrhea. 2- Heavy infection can lead to muscle wasting, oedema. Diagnosis: By finding the T. trichura egg in faeces 2- Enterobius Vermicularis. Called the thread worm and pinworm, causes enterobiasis. Distribution: World wide. Habitat: Adult worm in small intestine. Egg deposited in the peri-anal skin. Infective larvae: during night when eggs hatch on the buttock. 26 Transmission and life cycle: 1234- Ingestion of infective egg. Infection is easily transmitted by contaminated bed or clothes. Autoinfection when egg hatches on the buttocks. Infective larvae migrate back to the intestine. Pathology: Rarely causes serious disease, usually intense irritation around the anus. In female infection of urinary and genital tract may occur. Worms in appendix may cause appendicitis. Morphology: Adult: male measures about 4 mm in length with curved tail and spicules. Female: measures about 10 mm in length, with straight and pointed tail. Egg: asymmetric colorless and flattened from one site, measures about 55-25 µm. Diagnosis: 1- By finding the egg in samples collected from perianal skin using adhesive tape, or recovered from clothing during the night. 2- Egg can also be found in stool but this is less commonly. 3- By finding the adult (female only) worm in faeces or during clinical examination (occasionally less that 10% of cases). 3-Hook worm. Ancylostoma duodenale. Necator americanus. Distribution: Tropics and sub-tropics, worm areas. Necator americanus is more common than Ancylostoma duodenale. Habitat: Adult worm in small intestine. Egg in faeces but not infective. Infective larvae: free in soil and water. Transmission and life cycle: 1- Infection occurs when infective filariform larvae penetrate the skin. 2- Then larvae follow heart-lung migration. 3- Adult in small intestine. 27 4- Egg passed in faeces. 5- Larvae hatches from egg under favorable condition. 6- Develop into rhabditiform larvae, which develop into infective filariform larvae. Pathology: 1- The first sign is skin reaction at the site of penetration. 2- Mild respiratory symptoms. 3- Adult hookworm causes chronic blood loss leading to developing iron deficiency anaemia in prolonged infection. Morphology: Egg: oval 60X40 µm. colorless with thin shell. Adult: 1- Cylindrical white in color. Diagnosis: 1- Finding hookworm egg in faeces by direct or concentration technique. 2- In old stool sample larvae may hatch. 28