How long are pinworms contagious?

When and for how long is a person able to spread the disease? A person will remain infectious for as long as there are worms laying eggs on the skin around his or her rectum. Pinworm eggs can remain infectious in an indoor environment for two to three weeks.

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How long after medicine is pinworm contagious?

Call your child's school or childcare center so that they can take extra steps to prevent the spread to others. Your child can return to school or childcare 24 hours after treatment.

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When are pinworms most contagious?

What are the incubation and contagious periods?
  1. Incubation period: 1 to 2 months or longer from the time of ingesting the pinworm egg until an adult worm migrates to the anal area.
  2. Contagious period: As long as the female worms are discharging eggs to the skin around the anus.

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Are you contagious if you have pinworms?

Pinworm infections are contagious. The worms get into the body when people swallow the tiny pinworm eggs. The eggs can be on contaminated hands, under fingernails, and on things people touch a lot, such as: clothing, bed linens, and towels.

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How contagious are pinworms?

Pinworms are contagious and easily spread, usually from child to child. Pinworm eggs can be picked up on children's fingers when they're playing. When children who are infected scratch their itchy bottoms, the tiny eggs can get under their fingernails. Eggs can stay on your child's skin for several hours.

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Kristen Bell Deals with Family Pinworm Outbreak

27 related questions found

Can pinworms spread in bed?

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.

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Can pinworms be spread on a toilet seat?

A person is infected with pinworms by ingesting pinworm eggs either directly or indirectly. These eggs are deposited around the anus by the worm and can be carried to common surfaces such as hands, toys, bedding, clothing, and toilet seats.

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How do you keep pinworms from spreading?

Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the toilet, changing diapers, and before handling food is the most successful way to prevent pinworm infection.

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How long after exposure do pinworms appear?

Your child may be fussy and wake often at night. If your child is infected, it may take 2 to 8 weeks for symptoms to start.

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What can you not do with pinworms?

Do not scratch. Itching around the anus caused by a pinworm infection usually happens at night. Try wearing gloves, pyjamas, and close-fitting clothing to help prevent scratching. Bathe carefully every day.

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How likely is it for adults to get pinworms?

Adults are rarely affected, except for parents of infected children. Infection often occurs in more than one family member. While an infected person sleeps, female pinworms crawl out of the anus and lay their eggs on the surrounding skin.

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Can adults get pinworms easily?

People of all ages can become infected with pinworms, but the infections are found most often in children. Caregivers and family members of infected children have a higher risk of infection.

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Can a child with pinworms go to daycare?

Children with pinworms do not need to miss any child care or school.

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Can you become immune to pinworms?

Without treatment, infestation will continue as long as fresh eggs are being swallowed, unless a person develops immunity to pinworms, which is unusual before age 15.

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How do adults get rid of pinworms overnight?

Pyrantel pamoate is in most over-the-counter (OTC) treatments for pinworms. This includes Reese's Pinworm Medicine and Pin-X. Prescription-strength medications are also available. Your doctor may prescribe a two-dose treatment of mebendazole or albendazole to help you clear the infection.

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Can pinworms go through clothing?

Pinworm eggs can also be transferred to the fingers from clothing or bedding, and then spread around the home. Eggs may be inhaled from the air or deposited onto food and swallowed. Pinworms can survive up to two weeks on clothing, bedding or other objects, if kept at room temperature.

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Can you get pinworms from a couch?

The eggs can survive on surfaces or objects (such as furniture, kitchen surfaces and toothbrushes) for up to 2 weeks in the right conditions and can infect other people if transferred to the mouth or food. Household pets cannot be infected with pinworms or pass them on to humans.

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What kills pinworm eggs?

The medications used for the treatment of pinworm are either mebendazole, pyrantel pamoate, or albendazole. Any of these drugs are given in one dose initially, and then another single dose of the same drug two weeks later. Pyrantel pamoate is available without prescription.

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Do pinworms come out every night?

After a few weeks, the female pinworms move to the end of the large intestine, and they come out of the body at night to lay their eggs around the anus (where poop comes out). The amount of time that passes from when someone swallows the eggs until the worms lay new eggs is about 1 to 2 months.

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Can pinworms infest your house?

Prevention of Pinworm Infestation

Pinworm reinfestation is common because viable ova may be excreted for 1 week after therapy, and ova deposited in the environment before therapy can survive 3 weeks. Multiple infestations within the household are common, and treatment of the entire family may be necessary.

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Do pinworms come out at night or when you sleep?

The worm may be seen around the anus or on the child's bottom. It is especially active at night or early morning. Rarely, the pinworm is seen on the surface of a stool. The pinworm's secretions are a strong skin irritant and cause the itching.

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Why does my daughter keep getting pinworms?

Pinworms can come back if your child comes into contact with pinworm eggs again. They can stay alive in your home for up to 2 to 3 weeks. Make sure everyone in your family washes their hands carefully after going to the toilet, changing diapers, and before preparing or eating food. Wash your bed linens and clothes.

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Can pinworms live on toys?

Pinworm eggs can cling to surfaces, including toys, faucets, bedding and toilet seats, for two weeks. So besides regular cleaning of surfaces, methods to help prevent the spread of pinworm eggs or to prevent reinfection include: Wash in the morning.

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Do you have to inform school if your child has worms?

Nursery, school and work

If you or your child has threadworms there's no need to stay off nursery, school or work.

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Why am I always getting pinworms?

If a person with a pinworm infection touches their underwear, bedsheets, or their anus, they can pick up eggs on their fingers. If they touch another surface, they can leave the eggs there. Anyone who touches that surface and then touches their mouth is at risk of infection.

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