How common is Whipples Disease
First described by Dr. George Hoyt Whipple in 1907, Whipple’s disease is rare with an estimated worldwide incidence rate of one to six new cases per 10,000,000 persons per year. Most patients are aged between 48 and 54 years at first diagnosis, and the male to female ratio is 8:1. There is a higher frequency of HLA alleles DRB∗13 and DQB1∗06 in patients with classic Whipple’s disease (see Questions 3 and 4). Over 66% of patients who develop Whipple’s disease have had occupational exposure to soil (farmers), sewage water, or animals. It is more common in those with poor personal hygiene and those in contact with patients or chronic carriers, leading to the presumption of fecal-oral transmission.
