Oxyuriasis, also known as oxyurosis and enterobiosis, is an infectious disease caused by the parasite Enterobius vermicularis , popularly known as oxyurus, which can be transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, eating food contaminated with eggs or inhaling eggs dispersed in the air, as they are quite light.
Eggs in the body hatch in the intestine, undergo differentiation, maturation and reproduction. Females at night move to the perianal region, where they lay their eggs. It is this displacement of the female that leads to the appearance of the characteristic symptom of oxyuriasis, which is the intense itching in the anus.
How the transmission happens
Oxyurus transmission occurs through ingestion of this parasite's eggs through contaminated food or by placing a dirty hand in the mouth, the most frequent occurrence in children between 5 and 14 years of age. In addition, it is possible to be contaminated through the inhalation of eggs that can be found dispersed in the air, since they are quite light, and contact with contaminated surfaces, such as clothes, curtains, sheets and carpets.
It is also possible that there is self-infection, being more common in babies who wear diapers. This is because if the baby is infected, after pooping, it can touch the dirty diaper and take it by hand in the mouth, becoming infected again.
Main symptoms
The most common symptom of enterobiosis is itching in the anus, especially at night, as it is the period in which the parasite moves to the anus. In addition to anal itching, which is often intense and disrupts sleep, other symptoms may appear if there are large numbers of parasites, the main ones being:
- Nausea; Vomiting; Pain in the belly; Intestinal colic; There may be blood in the stool.
In order to diagnose the presence of the worm from this infection, it is necessary to collect material from the anus, as the common stool test is not useful to detect the worm. The collection of material is usually done with the gluing of cellophane adhesive tape, a method known as gummed tape, which is requested by the doctor.
Know how to recognize oxyurus symptoms.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for enterobiosis is guided by the doctor, who prescribes vermifuge medicines such as Albendazole or Mebendazole, used in a single dose to eliminate the worms and eggs that infect the body. It is still possible to apply an anthelmintic ointment to the anus, such as thiabendazole for 5 days, which helps to potentiate the effect of the medicine.
Another option is Nitazoxanide, which affects yet another large amount of intestinal parasites, and is used for 3 days. Whatever the medication used, it is recommended that the test be done again, to check for signs of infection and, if so, to carry out the treatment again. Understand how enterobiosis treatment is done.
How to prevent enterobiosis
To avoid infection by enterobiosis, it is necessary to take simple precautions, such as having good hygiene habits, cutting children's nails, avoiding biting nails, in addition to boiling the clothes of infected people to prevent their eggs from contaminating others, as they can stay up to 3 weeks in the environment and can be transmitted to other people.
It is also important to wash your hands whenever preparing food, and after using a toilet. In this way, in addition to enterobiosis, several other infections by worms, amoebae and bacteria can be avoided. Learn about other ways to prevent enterobiosis.
