The human body is a comfortable living environment for many parasitic life forms, and pinworms are one of them. Small white nematodes are recognized as the most common parasites in the human body. Being the causative agents of enterobiosis, they can cause considerable harm if left without proper attention. Let us consider in more detail the cycle of development of pinworms in the human body, and what consequences their presence brings.
Under the microscope
In medical terms, the life cycle and structure of pinworms belong to the class of roundworms - nematodes. Pinworm has a light gray body with a pointed end up to one centimeter long, which is why it got its name.
If you slightly enlarge the microscope, then you can see that along the entire length of the parasite’s body lateral outgrowths pass, which form vesicles on the front part. These special swellings are involved in the process of attaching to the intestines of the carrier. The pinworm digestion system is a mouth opening with three lips, the esophagus with a spherical expansion - a bulb that passes into the intestine and anal outlet in the back of the body. It is the bulb and vesicles that provide adult pinworm fixation to the wall of the human intestine.
Pinworms are bisexual worms, they interact. Under the microscope, you can see the uterus of a female individual, filled with eggs, it is clearly visible through the body. The pinworm female is straight and large compared to the male, which barely reaches 5 millimeters in length and is spirally folded.
Pinworm life is short. The development cycle from egg to death takes place within 1-2 months. But such a short period is fully justified by the ability to quickly reproduce.
Human pinworm development life cycle
This type of helminths parasitizes in the human intestines, feeding on its microflora and living in its various departments: in the cecum, small intestine and colon. Their presence in the body at the initial stage of infection may go unnoticed: there is no manifestation while they are in small quantities. But usually it does not last long. Despite the short life cycle of pinworms, their numbers are growing very rapidly.
Mating of parasites occurs in the ileum, after which the males die. The female, for laying her eggs, leaves the anus in the ductal folds. The laying of one female individual can number up to 15 thousand eggs, after which she also dies. The laid eggs ripen for no more than 4-6 hours and then proceed to the next stage - hatching. The appearance of light occurs in the small intestine, where the larvae cling to the mucosa.
The developmental cycle of pinworm from larva to adult is about 2-4 weeks, then it is ready for reproduction. In a matter of time, their colony rapidly multiplies in the human body and makes itself felt.
Children pinworm development cycle
The disease enterobiosis caused by parasites is not so much an adult as a child. It is also called a disease of dirty hands, which is what kids usually sin. At the same time, infants account for only 1% of the incidence, since their contacts with the outside world are limited. A large percentage of infected in children under 12 years of age is recorded.
The disease in young children manifests itself through inflammation of the skin around the anus, slow weight gain, excessive tearfulness and anxiety of the child. In older children, enterobiosis often has a neglected character: since it may not be felt at all, or the child prefers to remain silent about the symptoms for a long time. The main signs of pinworms in the body of a child:
- weight loss,
- pallor of the skin
- sleep disturbance,
- loss of vitality,
- navel pains
- cyanosis under the eyes,
- dysbiosis,
- itching in the anus.
If you have enterobiosis or suspect it, you should consult a doctor to make a more accurate diagnosis. Symptoms of the disease have a number of symptoms similar to other diseases, for example, diabetes.
Life outside of man
The optimal living environment for an adult parasite is a certain temperature, humidity and nutrition that a person provides him. Therefore, there can be no talk about the life cycle of pinworms outside the human body, they simply do not survive. But this is not the case with their eggs. Their viability due to the outer coating of eggs is higher. Under favorable conditions, they can survive up to three weeks in anticipation of their carrier. It was once established that pinworm eggs can survive even at low sub-zero temperatures.
The eggs of the parasite, which are outside the person, die in the following cases: from excessive high or low temperatures, from insufficient humidity and if they fall under direct sunlight.
Infection pathways
Pinworm infection occurs through parasite eggs transmitted from person to person. After the female laid eggs near the anus, they are easily transferred to other surfaces due to their sticky shell. First, they are fixed on the hands of a person, underwear and bedding, and then they fall on other surfaces - food, furniture, door handles, money. I must say that pinworm eggs are colorless and very small, so they are simply invisible to the human eye. And this provides them with unhindered transmission.
Pets can also be carriers of parasite eggs, bringing them from the streets. Although there is no threat to them themselves, pinworms are preferred only by the human body. But if the animal provides good care and regular veterinary control in a timely manner, the risks of infection through them are minimal.
The disease of “dirty hands” receives a large percentage of those infected mainly in child care facilities. Statistics show numbers from 25 to 90%. But adult groups in the absence of proper sanitary standards can fall for this "bait".
Symptoms of pinworms
The main symptom of pinworm infection is a pruritus of the anus. It lasts several days and, as a rule, intensifies at night. In women and girls, strong genital secretions can indicate the presence of parasites in the body. This happens when the worms enter the vagina. Also, in some infected, urinary incontinence (enuresis) may occur.
The manifestation of the following signs indicates a large number of parasites in a person:
- nausea,
- vomiting
- abdominal pain,
- the manifestation of allergic reactions,
- eczema, dermatitis.
- reduced immunity.
But there are cases, as mentioned earlier, when the carrier organism does not give out any presence of the pinworm of a human. The life cycle of parasites in this case is almost asymptomatic. This indicates a small number of them and that the infection was most likely from an outsider.
The consequences of the prolonged presence of helminths
With enterobiosis, complications are rarely diagnosed. But without the timely treatment measures taken, the active life of pinworms in the human body can lead to the following consequences:
- appendicitis,
- peritonitis,
- vulvovaginitis,
- salpingitis
- eosinophilic enterocolitis (intestinal damage),
- nervous disorders
- low hemoglobin.
Prolonged infestation significantly depletes the growing body of the child. Colonies of parasites deprive him of all nutrients and poison with toxins. This leads to the fact that in children there is a lag in development and growth, against which epileptic seizures are observed.
Anthelmintic therapy
If we briefly describe the pinworm development cycle, it goes through several stages: egg maturation, larval development into an adult, mating and laying of eggs (in females). The human body gives a signal about the presence of parasites only at the last stage. And just then you can diagnose enterobiosis and start anthelminthic therapy in time.
Self-medication is highly discouraged, especially if the disease has a neglected form, since the selection of medications should be made taking into account the age and characteristics of the infected, and this can only be done by a qualified specialist.
Basically, anthelmintic drugs are designed for a single use, and one dose will be enough to get rid of pinworms. But a second course is required, it is drunk after 14 days to destroy the offspring of helminths from the remaining eggs.
The main components of treatment:
- taking medication
- taking measures to remove parasite eggs from personal items, as well as various surfaces in the house.
Treatment recommendations
During treatment, in order to avoid re-infection with pinworms, the development cycle of which is very fast, you should arm yourself with the following rules for the whole family:
- wash your hands with laundry or tar soap as often as possible;
- change underwear twice a day, after ironing it with a hot iron;
- to cover up fresh bedding every three days, also ironing it;
- shortly trimmed nails, parasite eggs easily enter the mouth through them;
- continuous disinfection of the bathroom and toilet and daily wet cleaning of the house using household soap and water or other special means.
Some measures are temporary, but some should be taken in the habit, so that in the future it is very likely to avoid meeting with parasites.
How can I protect myself?
To protect yourself from worms, it is enough to develop good habits in yourself. Parents need to be especially attentive to their children, as they are less resistant to parasite infection. Grafting up from a diaper is a good contribution to a healthy future for a baby.
Prevention of infection:
- refusal of bad habits (biting nails, poking fingers in the mouth),
- personal hygiene (intimate hygiene, constant hand washing, fresh linen),
- wash vegetables and fruits before eating,
- cleanliness and order in the house (in personal belongings), regular wet cleaning.
No matter how much is said about the effectiveness of personal hygiene in prevention with helminths, most people continue to neglect it, which makes the disease easily spread among the masses. And since we are talking about pinworms, the development cycle of which involves the rapid laying of eggs, we can only imagine the extent of infection in a short time.
Interesting facts about parasites
- Every fourth living on earth is infected with worms. Species of parasites who love to hunt in humans are in the hundreds.
- It is a mistake to think that helminths live only in the intestines. Some species parasitize in the lungs, liver, muscles, and human eyes.
- Some types of worms are centenarians. For example, a cysticercus can live in the human brain for about 30 years.
- Among worms there are viviparous individuals, trichinella.
- Often confused or equated with roundworm and pinworms. The development cycle of these parasites, the size and habitat, in fact, differ significantly from each other. We give an example. The round of development of roundworm lasts up to 3 months, includes two stages - migratory and intestinal. These parasites are dioecious, like pinworms. However, a female roundworm lays about 200 thousand eggs per day. But more importantly, human infection with roundworms can be fatal.
- Different types of parasites differ in size. Some can only be seen under a microscope, while others have an impressive length. Bull tapeworm reaches a size of over 10 meters.