It is commonly known as the whipworm which refers to the shape of the worm; it looks like a whip with wider "handles" at the posterior end.

[3] Eggs are deposited from human feces to soil where, after two to three weeks, they become embryonated and enter the "infective" stage.

The life cycle from the time of ingestion of eggs to the development of mature worms takes approximately three months.

During this time, there may be limited signs of infection in stool samples, due to a lack of egg production and shedding.

[5] Ingestion of these eggs "can happen when hands or fingers that have contaminated dirt on them are put in the mouth or by consuming vegetables or fruits that have not been carefully cooked, washed or peeled.

Poor hygiene is associated with trichuriasis as well as the consumption of shaded moist soil, or food that may have been fecally contaminated.

Eggs are infective about 2–3 weeks after they are deposited in the soil under proper conditions of warmth and moisture, hence its tropical distribution.

The use of Trichuris suis ova (TSO, or pig whipworm eggs) by Weinstock, et al., as a therapy for treating Crohn's disease[20][21][22] and to a lesser extent ulcerative colitis[23] are two examples that support this hypothesis.

There is also anecdotal evidence that treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with TSO decreases the incidence of asthma,[24][self-published source?]

[26] Some scientific evidence suggests that the course of multiple sclerosis may be very favorably altered by helminth infection;[27] TSO is being studied as a treatment for this disease.