Pinworm:
A Common Parasite in Schoolchildren
Do
your children complain about having to wash their hands
and trim their fingernails? If they do, here’s a great
reason you can give them to be neat and clean: pinworms.
Pinworm infection is very common; it is actually the most
common roundworm parasite infection in the United States.
Health care professionals believe pinworm affects 200 million
people around the world and about one third of Americans,
mostly schoolchildren.
Pinworm
is a tiny parasite that lives inside the intestine. Pinworm
eggs are microscopic and adult pinworms are only about 5-10
millimeters in size. The adult pinworm is sometimes called
a threadworm because it looks like a staple-sized piece
of white thread. Depending on the severity of a pinworm
infection, a child or adult may have no symptoms or may
experience discomfort from a mild to moderate pinworm infection.
Itching
around the rectum is a major symptom of a pinworm infection.
The itching is caused by the adult female pinworm after
it matures, travels through the digestive tract, and lays
eggs in the anal area, typically at night. In addition to
itching, a pinworm infection may cause restlessness, abdominal
pain, and nausea, but pinworm is not known to cause injury
or harm to children or adults who are infected.
Pinworm
infection is quite contagious. Pinworms are spread when
a person—often a child—itches his or her bottom
and transfers pinworm eggs to other surfaces. Pinworm eggs
can live up to three weeks outside the body. Therefore,
anyone who touches a surface contaminated with pinworm eggs
can easily pick up a pinworm infection.
Pinworm
infections are common in areas where children congregate
for long periods of time such as schools, daycare centers,
and playgrounds. Poor hygiene and a warm climate increase
the chances of a child catching a pinworm parasite. Pinworm
does not come from pets or animals. To prevent a pinworm
infection, children should be encouraged to wash their hands
frequently, especially after going to the bathroom and before
eating. Children should also bathe and change their underwear
daily. It often helps to teach children that many germs,
like pinworm, are so tiny they are invisible so it is important
to wash even if one’s hands and body don’t “look”
dirty.
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