Pinworms
Definition
Pinworms, Enterobius vermicularis, are small, white worms that can live in the intestines, are common in young children, and are easily treated.
Description
Adult pinworms live in the large intestines. Males and females are about 5 mm and 10 mm long, respectively, with the diameter of a strand of thread. After copulation, the males die. When the female is ready to lay eggs, she crawls out of the anus, and violently expels the eggs on the skin around the anus. Some of the eggs become airborne and land elsewhere, but the majority stay on the skin of the buttocks. A single female can produce more than 10,000 eggs. After laying her eggs, the female also dies. At body temperature, the eggs develop quickly and are infective in about six hours. When ingested by another person, the...
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