A pinworm is a tiny, thin, whitish roundworm that may be found in the human colon or rectum. These are parasites that commonly infect children’s intestines when they consume little pinworm eggs. Pinworms are quite common and often afflict school-aged children.

Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Aro... Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Around

Pinworm eggs can be spread in schools, daycare centers, parks, and playgrounds. They can also be breathed; however, this is relatively uncommon. Pinworms are around the size of a staple. Female pinworms leave the gut through the anus and deposit their eggs on the surrounding skin while an infected individual sleeps. To avoid pinworms, wash your child’s hands and feet thoroughly, clean or wet mop their room once a week, and wash your kid’s clothes and mattress in hot water.

What Pinworms Look Like

Pinworms are little white worms found in the big intestine. They resemble strands of white thread. They are white or cream in hue and resemble tiny strands of thread. Pinworms have a lifespan of up to 6 weeks.

These worms go through three phases of development: eggs, larvae, and adults. The eggs are ovate, measure 50-60µm in length by 20-30µm in width, and asymmetric along the long axis, flattened one side. Within the eggs, infective larvae multiply. Adult worms have long white tubes with pointed tails. They have three lips that encircle the anterior mouth, a big oesophageal bulb, and a prominent anterior cuticular inflation (swollen head).

Male worms are 1-4 x 0.2-0.4mm in size, with a single spicule 100-140m long, and have highly curled ventral posterior ends. Female worms measure 8-13 x 0.3-0.6mm and have a pointed tail. They are mostly seen at night or early morning. Pinworms may also be located on the surface of your children’s bowel movement or at the opening to your child’s genitalia.