About Whipple's Disease

Whipple's disease is a rare infectious disease caused by a bacteria called tropheryma whipplei. This intestinal disease is named after George Whipple, who discovered the bacteria in 1907. Fortunately, it can be treated with antibiotics. If left untreated, Whipple's can be deadly.

Developing Nations

• In the United States, Whipple's disease affects only one in a million people each year. In developing countries, it is more prominent and can especially affect children who live in areas where the sanitation system is poor. Doctors discovered that nearly 44 percent of children in Senegal were confirmed to have the causative bacteria in their stools, and most of them were between the ages of 4 and 10.

Expert Insight

• According to the Mayo Clinic, Whipple's disease normally interferes with digestion. It decreases the body's ability to properly break down foods such as carbohydrates and fats. For this reason, one of the most common signs of the disease is weight loss. Weight loss is caused by malabsorption, which means the body cannot absorb nutrients through the bloodstream. Some other symptoms of the disease are diarrhea, stomach pain, weakness, fatigue, anemia and a darkening or graying of skin exposed to the sun.

Nervous System

• Whipple's disease, if allowed to progress, can affect the central nervous system. If that occurs, a person begins to experience declining intellectual abilities, insomnia, hearing loss and eventually dementia or death. Antibiotics can eliminate the infection, but it's important that patients know that the disease can reoccur.

Warning

• Whipple's disease can be brought on by other gastrointestinal illnesses or disorders. It's important that it is caught early. If left untreated, the disease can affect other parts of the body. Treatment involves antibiotics or antibiotics in combination with other antibacterial medication.

Care and Remedies

• The most important thing that a person with Whipple's disease can do is to make sure they are getting lots of nutrients, even if it's in the form of supplements. Someone who is severely malnourished because of the disease might need fluids and electrolyte replacement. Whipple's disease is a concern for many researchers because the risk factors are still unknown.