Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
10:57
Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
Tropheryma whipplei in fecal samples from children, Senegal
Florence Fenollar1, Jean-François Trape, Hubert Bassene
1Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France.
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|June 16, 2009
Insights
Tropheryma whipplei, a bacterium, was found in 44% of healthy children in rural Senegal. This suggests Tropheryma whipplei is becoming a common pathogen in sub-Saharan Africa.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Global Health
Background:
- Tropheryma whipplei is a bacterium known to cause Whipple's disease.
- Its prevalence and role in asymptomatic infections, particularly in children in sub-Saharan Africa, are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of Tropheryma whipplei in healthy children in rural Senegal.
- To investigate the genetic diversity of Tropheryma whipplei in this population.
Main Methods:
- Fecal samples were collected from 150 healthy children aged 2-10 years in rural Senegal.
- Molecular methods were used to detect Tropheryma whipplei and analyze its genotypes.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of Tropheryma whipplei in the study population was 44%.
- Unique genotypes of the bacterium were identified, indicating distinct strains circulating in the region.
Conclusions:
- Tropheryma whipplei is highly prevalent in healthy children in rural Senegal.
- The findings suggest Tropheryma whipplei is emerging as a significant pathogen in sub-Saharan Africa, warranting further investigation into its clinical implications.
Abstract:
We tested fecal samples from 150 healthy children 2-10 years of age who lived in rural Senegal and found the prevalence of Tropheryma whipplei was 44%. Unique genotypes were associated with this bacterium. Our findings suggest that T. whipplei is emerging as a highly prevalent pathogen in sub-Saharan Africa.
Related Concept Videos
01:12Giardiasis
Giardiasis is a globally prevalent intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia or G. intestinalis). This flagellated protozoan is the most frequently identified intestinal parasite in the United States and worldwide. Transmission primarily occurs via the fecal-oral route, with infection arising from ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts. Individuals in low-resource settings, international travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, daycare...
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
01:18Trichomoniasis
Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated protozoan parasite and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, one of the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infections in the United States. This extracellular parasite primarily colonizes the lower genitourinary tract in women—particularly the vagina—and in men, the urethra and prostate. Its structural and functional adaptations enable its survival, motility, and pathogenicity within the host environment.Structural Features and Host EntryT.
01:22American Trypanosomiasis
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
01:28Fungal Phylum Microsporidia
Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...