An unpleasant souvenir: Endoscopic finding of Trichuris trichiura (Nematoda: Trichuridae)

Whipworms are responsible for up to 500 million cases of trichuriasis worldwide, with higher endemicity in tropical and sub-tropical countries. In non-endemic countries, trichuriasis can be accidentally diagnosed upon colonoscopy, often in the presence of negative microscopy. Here, we describe an incidental diagnosis of trichuriasis in an HIV patient residing in a non-endemic area (i.e., Turin, Italy), six months after his return from Antigua. The species-level diagnosis was made thanks to PCR-based molecular identification of Trichuris sp. following optical microscopy detection. Overall, this case highlights the importance of improving parasitic diseases diagnosis through cutting-edge clinical and laboratory diagnostic tools alongside advanced training of specialists in the area of parasitology.