Pinworms (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Enterobiasis, Oxyuriasis, Seatworm infection, Threadworm infection

Pinworms are parasites about the length of a staple that live in the rectum. They are the most common worm infection in the United States. Pinworms get inside the body when you swallow their eggs. While you sleep, the female pinworms leave the intestines through the anus and deposit eggs on nearby skin. This can cause intense anal itching. Complications from pinworms are rare.

People get pinworm infections from one another. School-age children and preschoolers are most likely to get pinworms. You do not get them from pets. If you have a mild case, you may not need treatment. If you do need treatment, you and members of your family usually take medicine, since pinworms are spread so easily.

Start Here

Pinworm(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/pinworm.html
Pinworm Infection(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/pinworm/factsht_pinworm.htm

Overviews

Parasitic Roundworm Diseases(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/parasiticRoundworm/default.htm
Pinworm Infection(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/pinworm/DS00687/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Helminths as governors of inflammatory bowel disease. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18628388&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: A randomized, double-blind, multicenter clinical trial on the efficacy of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18452885&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Dipylidium caninum mimicking recurrent enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) infection. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18424563&tool=MedlinePlus
Pinworms -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(enterobius[mh]+OR+enterobiasis[mh])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Medical Encyclopedia

Pinworms - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=Pinworms

Organizations

National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne, and Enteric Diseases, Division of Parasitic Diseases(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/

Children

Pinworms(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/pinworm.html
Pinworms and Your Child(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/stomach/139.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/stomach/139.printerview.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Parasitic Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/parasiticdiseases.html
Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Pinworms is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/