Pinworm infection is spread by the fecal-oral route, that is by the transfer of infective pinworm eggs from the anus to someone's mouth, either directly by hand or indirectly through contaminated clothing, bedding, food, or other articles.
Where do pinworms come from originally?
The first evidence of pinworm infection dates back to Roman-occupied Egypt (30 BC-AD 395), and the oldest known pinworm ova have been found in human coprolites dating back to 7800 BC from Danger Cave, Utah (Fry and Hall, 1969).
What is the main cause of pinworms?
Accidentally swallowing or breathing in pinworm eggs causes a pinworm infection. The tiny (microscopic) eggs can be carried to your mouth by contaminated food, drink or your fingers. Once swallowed, the eggs hatch in the intestines and mature into adult worms within a few weeks.
Can you randomly get pinworms?
Pinworms spread easily in homes, day care centers, schools, and other places where groups of people spend time together. So if one person in your family has pinworms, others probably do too. It's possible to get pinworms by inhaling airborne eggs, but this is rare. It's also rare to get pinworms from a swimming pool.
Where do pinworms come from dirt?
Infection often happens from touching poop or soil that's infected with eggs and not washing hands (fecal-oral route). Pinworm infections result from touching eggs laid near the opening of the buttocks (anus). You can accidentally ingest roundworm eggs by preparing food or touching soil that's contaminated.
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