Chronic dysentery, abdominal pain, and rectal prolapse in children is caused by:

Ans. (c)The immature T. trichiura buries its entire body in the epithelium of the large intestine forming a tunnel. As the worm matures, its posterior portion is extruded or ruptures from the tunnel and hangs in the intestinal lumen.Intimate contact of T. trichiura with the mucosa of large intestine leads to inflammation of mucosa. Depending upon the intensity of the infection, the inflammation may extend from the distal part of small intestine to the rectum. The mucosa may be oedematous and friable. The surface tissue of the rectum becomes extremely oedematous and when the patient strains to defecate, rectal prolapse may occur. Rectal bleeding (whipworm dysentery) with abdominal cramps and severe rectal tenesmus are seen in massive infections. Q