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Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz
ISSN: 1678-8060 EISSN: 1678-8060
Vol. 110, No. 1, 2015, pp. 145-147
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Bioline Code: oc15015
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Vol. 110, No. 1, 2015, pp. 145-147
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Trichuris trichiura in a post-Colonial Brazilian mummy
Bianucci, Raffaella; Torres, Eduardo J. Lopes; Santiago, Juliana M.F. Dutra; Ferreira, Luiz Fernando; Nerlich, Andreas G.; de Souza, Sheila Maria Mendonça; Giuffra, Valentina; Chieffi, Pedro Paulo; Bastos, Otilio Machado; Travassos, Renata; de Souza, Wanderley & Araújo, Adauto
Abstract
Trichuris trichiura is a soil-transmitted helminth which is prevalent in warm, moist, tropical and subtropical
regions of the world with poor sanitation. Heavy whipworm can result either in Trichuris dysenteric syndrome - especially
in children - or in a chronic colitis. In heavy infections, worms can spread proximally and may cause ileitis.
Here we provide first microscopic evidence for a T. trichiura adult worm embedded in the rectum of a post-Colonial
Brazilian adult mummy. During Colonial and post-Colonial times, many European chroniclers described a parasitic
disease named Maculo whose symptomatology coincides with heavy helminthiasis. Based on our findings and on
comparison of ancient textual evidence with modern description of heavy whipworm, we feel confident in considering
that the two syndromes are expressions of the same pathological condition.
Keywords
whipworm; soil-transmitted helminthiasis; Maculo syndrome
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