Pinworms are biogelminthes, small white roundworms that live and multiply inside the host's body. They are the causative agents of enterobiasis - invasion, transmitted by contact. Up to 95% of children are infected with it, and patients can complain about physical and psychological malaise. Knowing about where the pinworms live, what their usual habitat is, what kinds are dangerous to humans, you can try to prevent the development of infectious enterobiasis. Therefore, we will dwell in greater detail on the disclosure of these questions.
Oyster is a worm belonging to the genus of nematodes. It is recognized by a long pointed tail and the presence of a bulb - swelling of the esophagus, which has a bulbous shape. The parasite is small in size, the length of the adult and the habitat helps determine one of the three varieties of parasites. Where does such a parasite live?
Type of pinworms Enterobius vermicularis
Enterobius vermicularis is a type of pinworm that lives exclusively in the large intestine of a person. The length of the male is 2-5 mm, the length of the female can reach up to 12 mm. Parasites get ingested orally. Which organs are affected by pinworms? They live in the lower part of the small intestine, in the colon of the large intestine. In the process of fertilization, two individuals participate, the males after the act die, the female lives for two months.
During this period, Enterobius vermicularis lays up to one and a half thousand eggs. To do this, from the initial section of the sigmoid colon, the female worm crawls into the rectum, and from there through the anus outward. Eggs are laid in the folds of the anus. The adhesive composition has an irritating effect, which is why Enterobiusvermicularis causes severe itching - the most characteristic symptom by which it is easy to identify the causative agent of infestation. Deferred eggs after six hours become invasive - their movement can provoke infectious enterobiasis. The causative agent is transmitted by a contact route, it provides the ubiquitous distribution of pinworms of the species Enterobius vermicularis.
What can be dangerous for Enterobius vermicularis? The consequences of invasion can undermine the health of adults and children.
- The products of vital activity of pinworms are toxic, they cause an allergy that can manifest as a rash.
- Children do not have a reaction to measles, diphtheria and tetanus vaccinations. Let's remember where the pinworms live - in the small and large intestines. With spiral movements, the worm easily drills the walls of the affected organ, and penetrates into the nipples of the nipples responsible for the assimilation of useful trace elements. Parasites easily clog them, disrupting the process of digestion. That's why, if there are pinworms in the body, the patient quickly loses weight.
- The presence of parasites changes the chemical composition of microflora, disrupts motor-secretory functions of the gastrointestinal tract. The smooth muscles of the intestine cease to contract, so the stool becomes unstable.
- Pinworms that live inside the intestine actively absorb vitamins, this negatively affects the immunity of an adult and a child.
- Parasitizing Enterobius vermicularis can provoke the appearance of dangerous consequences: intestinal obstruction, peritonitis.
- If Enterobius vermicularis begins to migrate and gets into the common bile flow, jaundice will arise, migration can provoke blockade of the pancreas and even lead to asphyxia( if the worm gets into the upper respiratory tract).
That's why it's so important to know where the pinworms live, where they live in a natural environment and what kinds of them are dangerous.
Types of pinworms Enterobius anthropopitheci and Enterobius gregorii
Enterobius anthropopitheci is another type of pinworm that lives exclusively inside the chimpanzee - anthropoid ape. These worms are characterized by smaller sizes. The length of the female does not exceed 5 mm. There are other morphological differences, but the habitat is the same( in chimpanzee, pinworms also live in the intestine).
Enterobius gregorii is the third type of pinworm, it also lives in the body, it shares similarities with Enterobius vermicularis, scientists consider these two species clinically identical to each other, therefore they call into question the existence of Enterobius gregorii, as a separate species, but distinguish it by referring tohis special attention.
Eggs of all kinds of pinworms outside the host organism retain their viability for three weeks. They do not tolerate heat, but survive at a temperature of -8 degrees. Where do the helminths live at this time? Habitat is very different. Eggs have a sticky surface, so they easily stick to the hands, to the body and pastel clothes. From these places, invasive eggs fall into the water, food, children's toys, on the surface of furniture, to which the patient touched. If the house has pets, they carry the eggs on their wool, but they do not themselves enterobiosis. Knowing about what kinds of helminths are dangerous for the person, where they live, it is possible to prevent the development of infectious enterobiosis.