it is estimated that 600–800 million people are infected worldwide, with 3.2 billion individuals at risk because they live in regions where this intestinal worm is common. history the first written record of t. trichiura was made by the italian anatomist giovanni battista morgagni, who identified the presence of the parasite in a case of worms residing in the colon in 1740. an exact morphological description and accurate drawings were first recorded in 1761 by johann georg roederer, a german physician. soon after, the name trichuris trichiura was given to this species. synonyms human whipworm, trichocephaliasis, and tricuriasis are all synonyms for trichuriasis, human infection of the t. trichiura intestinal nematode. in spanish, trichuriasis is called tricuriasis, while in it is known as trichuriose in french and peitschenwurmbefall in german. research development of subunit vaccines requires the identification of protective antigens and their formulation in a suitable adjuvant. trichuris muris is an antigenically similar laboratory model for t. trichiura. subcutaneous vaccination with adult excretory–secretory products (es) protects susceptible mouse strains from t. muris. larval stages may contain novel and more relevant antigens which when incorporated in a vaccine induce worm expulsion earlier in infection than the adult worm products. nematode vaccines marketed to date have been of the irradiated larval type and used exclusively for the treatment of animals. these vaccines are not stable and require annual production, involving the yearly production and sacrifice of donor animals for passage. there has been much interest in the production of subunit vaccines against human and agricultural parasites since the early 1980s. development of subunit vaccines requires the identification of protective antigens and their formulation with a suitable adjuvant to stimulate the immune response appropriately.