How can a child get pinworms

Pinworm Infection

Last Reviewed: October 2011

What are pinworms?

Pinworms are white, parasitic worms that can live in the large intestine of humans. They are about one-half inch long. While the infected person sleeps, female pinworms leave the intestinal tract and lay their eggs on the skin around the anus. The eggs are laid in a sticky, jelly-like substance that, along with the wriggling of the female pinworm, causes severe itching.

Who gets pinworm infection?

Pinworm is the most common worm infection in the United States. School-age children, followed by preschoolers, have the highest rates of infection. Cases of pinworm infection are seen most often at schools, daycare centers and other institutional settings.

What are the symptoms of a pinworm infection?

Pinworm infection may cause:

Itching around the anal area, difficulty sleeping and irritability.
If it is a severe infection, symptoms may include:
- nervousness
- restlessness
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- girls may experience vaginal itching and irritation (vaginitis), if pinworms are near the vagina.

How does someone get pinworms?

Pinworms are spread when an infected person, most often a child, has scratched his/her bare anal area and the eggs get under his/her fingernails. Pinworms can then be spread in the following ways:

By an infected child not washing hands after using the bathroom. If the child then touches playmates or toys, he/she may pass on the eggs.
Pinworm eggs can also be transferred to the fingers from clothing or bedding, and then spread around the home.
Eggs may be inhaled from the air or deposited onto food and swallowed.
Pinworms can survive up to two weeks on clothing, bedding or other objects, if kept at room temperature.

The eggs may hatch while still attached to the skin around the anus. They then move through the rectum to the lower intestine, where they grow to adult size within two to six weeks. Pinworm infections can be spread as long as either worms or eggs are present.

How is a diagnosis of pinworm infection made?

Finding the female worm or the eggs confirms the diagnosis of pinworms. To find a female worm:

At night, the adult worms can sometimes be seen directly around the anal area or in pajamas. The worm (one-quarter to one-half inch long) is clearly visible to the naked eye. Finding a worm confirms the diagnosis.
If adult worms are not visible, conduct a tape test in the morning. Apply a piece of transparent tape against the folds of skin around the anus to pick up any eggs or worms. Seal in a plastic bag.
Take the tape to a health care provider. The eggs and worms caught on the tape can be identified under a microscope.

Pinworms are rarely spotted in stool samples. Because bathing or a bowel movement can remove the eggs, the tape test should be done as soon as the person wakes up in the morning.

How is a pinworm infection treated?

Treating pinworms involves either prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Consult a health care provider before treating a suspected pinworm infection. Follow these treatment steps:

Step 1: Treat the infected person/any infected family members

The infected person should take the medicine orally. It is given in two doses. The second dose should be given two weeks after the first.
Bathe first thing in the morning to reduce egg contamination.
Wash hands and under the fingernails thoroughly, after using the bathroom, before eating and after changing diapers.
Discourage nail biting and scratching bare anal areas to avoid re-infection.
Keep fingernails trimmed very short.
Infection often occurs in more than one family member. Treat all infected family members at the same time.

Step 2: Treat the household

Change and wash underwear and pajamas in hot water daily.
Machine-wash sheets, blankets, towels and clothing in hot water to destroy eggs. Machine-dry at high temperature.
Eggs are sensitive to sunlight, so open blinds in bedrooms in the daytime.
4. Since pinworm eggs are light and scatter easily, dust should be removed carefully from all surfaces in the home. Careful vacuuming or the use of an oiled cloth (which may be boiled or destroyed later) will help prevent the eggs from scattering.

How can pinworm infection and reinfection be prevented?

Wash hands and under fingernails frequently.
Encourage children to avoid scratching their bare anal areas.
• Pinworm eggs continue to be present (excreted) in the feces of an infected person for up to a week after the treatment, so precautions should be taken to prevent reinfection by washing hands thoroughly, especially under the nails.
Bathe daily.
Change and wash clothing and bedding frequently.

What if the pinworm infection occurs again?

If infection occurs again, consult your health care provider. In some cases, it may be necessary to treat the patient and close family contacts more than once.

For more information contact your local health department or go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/pinworm/.

Pinworms (for Kids) - Nemours KidsHealth

What Are Pinworms?

Pinworms are a type of little worm that commonly infects the intestines, especially in kids. Many of the kids in your school have probably had pinworms at one time, and the worms are nothing to be afraid of.

It's gross to think about, but anybody can get pinworms. To learn how to stay worm-free, read on!

How Do Kids Get Pinworms?

Pinworms are very small — about as long as a staple. Their eggs get inside the body through the mouth after you touch something that's contaminated with pinworm eggs, then touch your hands to your mouth.

After getting in your mouth, the eggs pass through the digestive system. The eggs hatch in the small intestine, and the baby worms grow and move on to the large intestine. There, the pinworms grab onto the wall of the intestine. After a few weeks, the female pinworms move to the end of the large intestine, and they come out of the body at night to lay their eggs around the anus (where poop comes out).

The amount of time that passes from when someone swallows the eggs until the worms lay new eggs is about 1 to 2 months.

Pinworm eggs can end up on anything touched by someone who has pinworms: on a counter in the kitchen, in a bed, or on a desk at school. The eggs also can be on clothes, towels, or eating utensils. The eggs can live for about 2 weeks, and when you accidentally touch them and then put your fingers in your mouth, you can swallow the eggs without even knowing it.

Kids in school get pinworms easily because they spend a lot of time with other kids, who may have pinworms. They might touch something with pinworm eggs on it when they're playing with other kids and eat the eggs without even knowing it. The eggs are so light that a few may even end up in the air, where they could be swallowed when you breathe in. This is not a common way of getting pinworms, though.

If you already have pinworms, you could swallow more eggs if you scratch around your bottom and then put your fingers in your mouth.

How Do I Know If I Have Pinworms?

If you have pinworms, you might see the worms in the toilet after you go to the bathroom. They look like tiny pieces of white thread. You also might see them on your underwear when you wake up in the morning. But the pinworm eggs are too tiny to be seen without a microscope.

The itching from the pinworms might wake you up in the middle of the night and make you squirm a lot. So if you're itchy and sore on your bottom, tell your mom or dad. And if you see worms in your underwear or in the toilet, you should tell a parent right away. You should know, though, that some people with pinworms don't have any symptoms at all.

What Will the Doctor Do?

If you might have pinworms, your mom or dad will take you to the doctor so you can get medicine to get rid of the worms.

To see if you have pinworms, the doctor may have your parent help you do an easy test at home. Your parent will place a small piece of tape on the skin around your anus at night or when you first get up in the morning, then take it off and bring it to the doctor. It doesn't hurt at all, and the doctor will look at the tape under a microscope to see if there are any eggs on it. He or she might also take some samples from under your fingernails to see if there are any eggs.

If you have pinworms, don't worry. They don't cause any harm (just itching!), and it won't take long to get rid of them. Your doctor will give you some medicine to take right away and then again 2 weeks later to be sure the worms are gone. The doctor can also give you a cream to help stop the itching.

Because it's easy to pass pinworms on to other people, the doctor may want the other people in your house to take medicine, too. Your mom or dad will probably want to wash everyone's sheets, towels, and pajamas to get rid of any eggs that might still be around.

How Do I Keep Pinworms Away?

The best way to keep from getting pinworms is to wash your hands with warm, soapy water before you eat, after you play outside, and after you use the toilet. Try to keep your fingernails short and clean, and don't scratch around your bottom or bite your nails.

Because pinworm eggs can hang around in clothes, be sure to change your underwear every day and always put on a clean pair. Ask someone to wash your pajamas every few days too.

With these simple steps, you can keep the worms away!

Pinworms

Pinworms - one of the most common intestinal helminths.

Pinworms are tiny parasitic nematodes (2-14 mm) that live in the intestines and lay their eggs on the skin around the anus.

Pinworm infection is also known as "enterobiasis".

The disease most often occurs in children aged 5 to 10 years.

A person becomes infected by ingesting helminth eggs.

In the intestines, larvae emerge from the eggs, which parasitize in the lower parts of the small intestine, and in the large intestine they turn into an adult.

At night, a mature female leaves the anus and lays eggs on the skin in the folds of skin around the anus, perineum, buttocks lays eggs (from 2 to 15 thousand).

After 4-5 hours, the eggs become "invasive" (infectious) for humans, because. during this time, larvae mature in eggs.

If an infected person touches household items such as bedding, clothing, toilet seat or toys, the eggs are transferred to those items.

Eggs can also be transferred from contaminated fingers directly to food.

Although rare, adults can also inhale airborne eggs by shaking contaminated bedding, towels, or clothing.

The causative agent of enterobiasis is resistant to various disinfectants. On toys, bedding, carpets and other household items, the causative agent of enterobiasis remains viable for up to 21 days, on environmental objects - in the upper soil layers of playgrounds, sand from sandboxes - up to 14 days, in tap and waste water - up to 7 days. The stability of pinworm eggs in the external environment increases as they mature. At a temperature of plus 22-28 ° C and a decrease in humidity to 60%, pinworm eggs remain viable for up to 8 days.

Who is at risk of getting enterobiasis?

Pinworms affect people of all ages, enterobiasis is ubiquitous.

Most susceptible to infection:

children attending organized institutions (especially kindergartens, camps)
family members or carers of those infected
people living in public institutions such as hostels
people who do not follow the rules of personal hygiene, namely regular and thorough hand washing before eating
children who have a habit of thumb sucking, nail biting

Is it possible to get pinworms from pets?

No, the only source of infection is man.

Enterobiasis symptoms:

Itching, scratching accompanying pinworms on the skin
Scratching the skin provokes the spread of pinworm eggs and re-infection, as a result of which the disease can last for a long time. Eggs can survive for hours on hands, under fingernails.
Allergic reaction, rash
Irritability, tearfulness, restless sleep
Presence of pinworms in feces

Some people with enterobiasis may not experience any symptoms.

The danger of enterobiasis lies in the fact that pinworms that parasitize in the human intestine produce toxins - waste products that cause intoxication of the body. Pinworms, parasitizing on the mucosa, injure it, which can lead to the addition of a secondary fungal or bacterial infection.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of a laboratory test.

Treatment is prescribed by a doctor.

Children infested with pinworms, which are sources of the spread of enterobiasis, are not allowed into preschool educational institutions for the period of treatment and control laboratory examination.

In addition to following the doctor's recommendations, it is necessary to prevent the spread of infection and the risk of re-infection.

Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the toilet, changing diapers, and before eating is the most effective way to prevent pinworm infection.

Parents are advised to ensure that children do not bite their nails.

Follow the rules of personal hygiene and change your underwear daily.

Infected people should not share bathing with other people.

Those infected should avoid taking baths. It is necessary to take a shower every morning.

Prevention of enterobiasis includes a set of measures:

detection of patients (parasite carriers) with enterobiasis
treatment of identified infested persons and prophylaxis of persons in contact with infested persons
monitoring of the circulation of the enterobiasis pathogen in groups with an increased risk of infection

Disinfestation is carried out in the focus of infection:

furniture and other surfaces are wiped with special disinfection-disinfestation agents
soft toys, upholstered furniture and carpets are treated with a vacuum cleaner, followed by dust disinfection. In the process of processing, it is recommended to remove carpets and toys for 3 days.
Linen, bed linen - boiled
Hard toys - wash with detergents.

01/14/2019

Children's pinworm: an intruder

^{Pinworm (male) under a microscope}

Pinworms are parasitic roundworms, whitish in color, only a few millimeters long. Infection with pinworms is called enterobiasis (the name of the disease is derived from two words: "enteros" - internal and "bios" - life). Most often, young children become infected due to non-compliance with precautions. This feature is reflected in the biological name of the parasite "Children's Pinworm".

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly half a million people in the world are infected with pinworms each year. According to the State Report "On the state of the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population in the Russian Federation in 2020", enterobiosis is widespread in Russia and occupies a dominant position in the number of registered cases.

Nevertheless, it is pleasant to note that the incidence of enterobiasis in the last 10 years has a steady downward trend.

In 2020, more than 128.9 thousand cases of enterobiasis were registered (87.78 per 100 thousand of the population), which is 1.6 times lower than last year, and compared to 2011 - lower by 1, 8 times. Among children under 17, the incidence rate of enterobiasis was 417.2 cases per 100 thousand, compared with 2019, there is a decrease in the incidence by 40.06%, and since 2011 - by 1.9times.

In 2020, the proportion of infested children under 17 years of age was 98.1% of all cases of enterobiasis. The maximum incidence of enterobiasis occurs in the age group from 3 to 6 years (741.86 per 100 thousand children of this age). Enterobiosis was also detected among children under 1 year old, the incidence rate was 25.3 per 100 thousand children, compared with 2011 (69.32), it decreased by almost 2.7 times.

Infection occurs by swallowing worm eggs with dirt from hands, by eating poorly washed vegetables and fruits. Pinworm eggs are microscopic in size and very light, so flies and cockroaches are able to carry them on their paws.

Domestic animals do not suffer from enterobiasis, although pinworm eggs can be carried on their fur from the street.

The dense shell of the eggs protects the larvae from death in the aggressive environment of the host's stomach. The larvae hatch from the eggs in the intestines of the host and develop into adults in 2-4 weeks.

Pinworms parasitize in the intestines, feeding on the semi-digested food of the host. Females are larger than males, up to 1 cm long. Males are smaller, a few millimeters long, and the tail end of their body is bent in the form of a hook.

At night, the females crawl out of the intestines and lay their eggs on the skin folds around the anus. This causes severe itching in the anus, which contributes to self-infection. A small child involuntarily scratches itchy places, the eggs fall on the hands and under the nails, and then into the mouth, if you do not have time to prevent this.