Symptoms from Eating Pig Whipworm Eggs
Author Information
Author(s): Bager Peter, Kapel Christian, Roepstorff Allan, Thamsborg Stig, Arnved John, Rønborg Steen, Kristensen Bjarne, Poulsen Lars K., Wohlfahrt Jan, Melbye Mads
Primary Institution: Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
Hypothesis
Does ingestion of Trichuris suis eggs cause gastrointestinal symptoms in humans?
Conclusion
Ingesting 2500 T. suis eggs caused frequent gastrointestinal reactions lasting up to 14 days.
Supporting Evidence
- 49 subjects on T. suis reported higher rates of gastrointestinal symptoms compared to 47 on placebo.
- 63% of T. suis subjects experienced symptoms by day 42, compared to 29% on placebo.
- Moderate to severe symptoms were significantly more common in the T. suis group.
Takeaway
Eating pig whipworm eggs can make you feel sick in your tummy for a while, but it might help with allergies.
Methodology
The study was a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial where participants ingested T. suis eggs or placebo every 21 days for 168 days.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from self-reporting of symptoms and treatment allocation guessing.
Limitations
The study did not obtain definitive diagnoses for gastrointestinal symptoms and relied on self-reported data.
Participant Demographics
Adults aged 18 to 65 with grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.2–3.5
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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