Pinworm infection

 20 Februari 2016   

Pinworm infection

Pinworm infection is caused by worm Enterobius vermicularis. E vermicularis is a white slender worm with a pointed tail. In humans, they reside in the cecum, appendix, and ascending colon. Adult pinworms are about 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) long and look like little white threads. Pinworm eggs are so tiny, you’d need a microscope to see them.

Transmission via direct contact with contaminated furniture, bedclothes, bedding, towels, toilets, doorknobs, or other objects. The parasite can also be transmitted during sexual contact.

Symptoms

Itching around the anus.
Restless sleep, because itching worse at night.

Causes

The primary symptoms of pinworm infection include itchy sensation on anal area, cause a gravid female pinworm migrates to the anal area to put worm egg, usually at nighttime. E vermicularis lives in the small intestines

The movement of the female cause local itching. The egg survive for up to 3 weeks before hatching. The hatched larvae can then migrate back into the anus and lower intestine, causing retroinfection.

Diarrhea due to inflammation of the bowel wall can occur during acute infection.

Risk factors for pinworms include living with a person who is egg-positive, eating before washing hands, and poor personal or group hygiene.

Most people get infected by accidentally swallowing pinworm eggs.

A child swallows pinworm eggs, and they travel to the child’s intestines. When the worms lay eggs, it can cause itching. If the child scratches, the eggs can cling to the child’s fingers and get stuck under the fingernails.
The eggs then stick to things the child touches, such as clothing, dishes, toys, and furniture. The eggs can live 2 to 3 weeks outside the body.
When you touch something the child has touched, the eggs get on your hands. Then if you touch food or your mouth, you can swallow the eggs. This starts the cycle over again.
Pinworms spread easily in homes, day care centers, schools, and other places. So if one person in your family has pinworms, others probably do too.

Treatment

You can treat pinworms with medicine that kills the worms. You will probably need two doses, 2 weeks apart. That’s because the medicine kills the worms but not the eggs. The second dose will kill worms that hatch after the first treatment.

Selfcare at home

Wash your hands carefully and often.
Keep your fingernails short
Take a shower every day.
Don’t share towels
Change your underwear
Wash clothes, bedding, and towels regularly
If anyone in your household gets pinworms again, the whole family may need to take medicine.

Laboratory test

Transparent adhesive tape test refers to the collection and examination of a sample from the skin around the anus. This test is used to identify pinworms and eggs. Tape test is the best test for diagnosing pinworms.