Intestinal nematodes: Enterobius vermicularis

pinworm or seat worm

Disease name: Enterobiasis.

temperate zone than in tropical areas.

Epidemiology:

Pinworm infection is prevalent in large family groups and in schools. The

infection is more common in children than adults.

Morphology :

The male: measures up to 5 mm long. The posterior end is strongly

curved; The male rarely seen as it die after female fertilization
female

.
The posterior end is sharply pointed and forming 1/3 of the total length.
 bits the cecum and adjacent area of the intestine (large intestine)

Sleep or relaxation, they crawl out of the anus onto the perianal area and
perineal skin.

Eggs morphology:

Female discharge about 10,000 eggs. The eggs discharged on the anal skin of
host (anus) are essentially mature and within few hours contain a fully
developed infective stage larva.
The eggs are flattened on one side and convex on the other like letter (D). They
have a colorless that causes them to stick to each other and to clothing of host,
and other objects.

Mode of infection:
1. By swallowing fully developed eggs with food or water, (contamination of
food or water with developed eggs
2. Inhalation of eggs (light infection)
3. Autoinfection.
4. Retro infection
Life cycle:

Development of the adult worms require about 6 weeks.

Autoinfection: It develops when the eggs are carried to the mouth of

host by fingers after scratching the itching skin (short time not more
than 4-6 hrs. / few hours)

Retro infection: It involves hatching of the embryonated eggs after their

deposition in the perianal area and subsequent migration back into the
rectum and large intestine.
 Clinical features:
The first recognizable symptom is pruritus as the worms emerge from the
anus to the perianal skin causing Itching to anal region.

The infection also induce sleep disturbance especially in children. In some

cases, no symptoms appear in light infection.

Diagnosis:

The eggs are recovered from perianal skin by using scotch tape technique
and examined microscopically. The technique preferably done at night or in
the early morning before bathing. The eggs can't be seen in the stool, while
the adult females can be seen in the stool or near the anus.