The female worms lay their eggs around the anus at night. Symptoms include anal itching, sleeplessness, irritability, and anal irritation due to scratching. Pinworms may also be present without symptoms.
Pinworms are common in school-aged children.
An infected person can spread pinworms by scratching the anal area, then contaminating food or other objects which are then eaten or touched by uninfected persons. Pinworms can be spread as long as either worms or eggs are present. Eggs can survive up to 2 weeks away from a human host. Exclude a child with pinworms from the child care facility until 24 hours after the the child has seen a physician and received the first treatment. The entire family may have to be treated to prevent reinfection.