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Pinworms infect only humans, living in their intestines and are easily transmitted to other people.
The adult female pinworm travels to the skin around the anus at night and lays her eggs. When your child itches the area, he will get the eggs under his nails. The eggs are then transmitted to another person, who gets the eggs on their hands and then places their hands in their mouth, swallowing the eggs. The eggs hatch in the intestines and mature into adults, who mate, producing females who can then lay eggs and continue to spread the illness. If you think that your child has pinworms, you take look at his bottom in the middle of the night and look for the adult worms.