The time from ingestion of eggs to development of mature worms is approximately 3 months. Adult females lay eggs for up to 5 years. Whipworm infection is rarely fatal. Rectal prolapse may occur in heavily infected hosts. No racial predilection exists.
Boys are more likely to be infected because they are thought to eat more dirt than girls.
Children, due to a higher propensity to directly or indirectly consume soil, are more commonly and more heavily infected. Most patients are asymptomatic. Clinical symptoms are limited to patients with heavy infection, who tend to be small children or others who eat a lot of dirt. Note that there is no pulmonary migration and, thus, no pulmonary symptoms. Whipworm is caused by consumption of soil or food that has been fecally contaminated.