What is it about ?
Pinworm is a small, round, filamentous white worm up to 13 mm in length that lives in the human colon. Man is the only reservoir of this parasite, which is transmitted from man to man. The adult female lays her eggs around the anus. They can get on the hands after scratching and land on the bed linen. New infections then occur when the eggs are swallowed. It will take 1 to 2 months before the eggs develop into adult worms and can cause symptoms.
Where and how often?
Pinworm is present all over the world. It is the most common infection by worms (helminthic infection) in many industrialized countries. The infection mainly affects children between the ages of 3 and 10, but not exclusively.
How to recognize it?
The most common symptom is itching around the anus (peri-anal pruritus), especially at night. The worms come out of the anus to deposit their eggs. Symptoms sometimes wake children up. Occasionally, you can see the adult worms. Irritability (possibly due to lack of sleep) and loss of appetite are also possible symptoms.
Small sores can develop where the skin has been scratched and they can become infected. Rarely, girls can be affected by these worms at the level of the vagina or from urethra. They can cause inflammation there, because the worms are likely to carry bacteria.
How is the diagnosis made?
Your doctor will suspect the diagnosis based on the symptoms and confirm it by looking for the eggs. This test is done by rubbing a cotton swab (swab) on the edges of the anus and at the entrance to the colon. The eggs stick to the swab and are then placed on a slide. Another method is to stick a piece of sticky paper on the anus, and then put it on the slide. The slide is then analyzed under a microscope.
What can you do ?
Eggs most often land on the hands and bedding. Good hand hygiene is therefore absolutely essential. The whole family should wash their hands before each meal and after each use of the toilet. Also cut the fingernails very short. Sheets and blankets are best vacuumed, aired, and changed the day after treatment. It is recommended that other children not sleep in the same bed as an infected child.
What can your doctor do?
The worms are treated with a dewormer, usually mebendazole. This medication is effective against adult worms, but not against eggs. In order to also kill the worms that came out of the eggs after the first treatment, the treatment is repeated after 2 weeks.
Want to know more?
- Hand hygiene – SPF Public health, food chain safety and the environment
- Mebendazole – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
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