I have personally seen quite a few ascaris infections, and pinworm infections are very common in children. Fortunately, mild ascaris infections do not cause symptoms, are not dangerous, and will die out even if left untreated. The treatment is also safe and simple. Pinworms are small thread-like roundworms that live in the rectum and come out at night to lay their eggs around the anus. They mostly infect kids, but since the eggs tend to float around in the air, adults in the same household can swallow them and become infected.
Many infected people can feel the worms as small itchy things moving around in the rectum.
The treatment is easy and safe, but everyone in a household needs to be treated at the same time. Since the eggs hang around in the air and in dust, a second treatment may be necessary. Although annoying, these worms do not cause any serious disease. Trichinosis, a roundworm infection that is not transmitted through feces, remains a problem in this country. Most cases arise from eating undercooked pork containing the larvae of the trichinae worms.