What causes pinworms?

Answer 1

A pinworm can be caused by biting (or chewing) your fingernails when they are dirty. The pinworm (Genus Enterobius) is a parasitic roundworm. The adult pinworm male is 1-4 mm in length, while the adult female is 8-13 mm. The human pinworm is commonly found in children. The pinworm lives in the lower part of the small intestine and the upper part of the colon. It is found worldwide, and causes the most common infection enterobiasis in humans. It being estimated that over 200 million people are infected annually. After mating, the male dies. The female migrates to the anus and emerges, usually during the night, to deposit about 10,000 to 20,000 eggs in the perianal area (around the anus). She then secretes a substance which causes a very strong itching sensation, inciting the host to scratch the area and thus transfer some of the eggs to the fingers. Eggs can also be transferred to cloth, toys, and the bathtub. Once ingested orally, the larvae hatch and migrate back to the intestine, growing to maturity in 30-45 days. The eggs can survive for 2 to 3 weeks on their own outside of the human body. In some cases, the larvae will hatch in the peri-anal area and travel back inside the anus, up the rectum, and back into the intestines where they mature.

Anti-pinworm drugs are available, but only kill the adult pinworms not the eggs. One may have to get treated for weeks to get rid of the pinworms and it is a safe practice to treat the entire family of people for pinworms.

Answer 2

The Pinworm causing organism is a nematode which falls under the category of the trematode also known as Flukes.