Trichuris trichiura in a post-Colonial Brazilian mummy

• Main Authors: Rafaella Bianucci, Eduardo J Lopes Torres, Juliana MF Dutra Santiago, Luis F Ferreira, Andreas G Nerlich, Sheila Maria Mendonça de Souza, Valentina Giuffra, Pedro Paulo Chieffi, Otilio Maria Bastos, Renata Travassos, Wanderley de Souza, Adauto Araújo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2015-02-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: whipworm; soil-transmitted helminthiasis; Maculo syndrome
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762015000100145&lng=en&tlng=en

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.