Pinworms, annoying but pose no serious problem

Dear Dr. Donya

How does a child get pinworms?

--Ellis

Dear Ellis

Pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) infestation is a common occurrence in families with children. Humans are the only hosts for the infection. The pinworm is a parasite that lives in the intestine. At night, the female worm migrates to the anus, lays large numbers of eggs on the surrounding skin and dies. The eggs are viable for up to two to three weeks.

They can spread to other individuals by clothing, bedding, food, dust and air. After you swallow the eggs, they hatch in the small intestine and migrate down to the large intestine (colon). This cycle takes between three and four weeks. Pinworms can be annoying but are not a serious problem. Family members can easily transmit pinworm infection to each other. If one family member has pinworm infection, a doctor may want to examine all family members for pinworm infection.

Cleanliness in the bathroom and kitchen areas and good hand washing may help prevent pinworm transmission. To help prevent the spread or recurrence of the infection, affected people should avoid scratching, keep their fingernails clean, wash their hands after a bowel movement and wash their bedding.

--Dr. Donya