Transmission of the oxyurius can occur through contact with the worm eggs that may be on the clothes, toys and personal belongings of the infected child or through the consumption of water or foods contaminated with this verminose.
When scratching the anus, the oxyurius eggs cling to the child's fingernails and fingers, and when it touches something, it contaminates it. Eggs of oxyurius can remain alive for up to 30 days and can infect any other individual in this period, so it is important that clothes and all objects that the child has access to are always washed with warm water and soap.
Eggs of oxyurius are very small and can easily spread through the air, contaminating objects within a radius of up to 2 km away. Cleaning the floor and bathroom that the child frequents with chlorine is also an important measure to prevent the transmission of the disease.
Main ways of transmitting Oxiúrus
The main form of transmission of this worm occurs when the infected person itches the anus, causing the worm or its eggs to be trapped in its fingers or nails and can be spread by its clothes, sheets and all environment. So some ways to be contaminated with this verminose are:
- Ingest contaminated food;
- Wear clothing, same towel or sleep in the same bed as the infected person;
- Play with toys or objects contaminated with the worm or its eggs;
- Sit in a contaminated toilet bowl;
- Get in touch with sewage or polluted water;
- Sit on the floor using only clothes with thin fabric.
It is very easy for the person with oxyurius to contaminate others around them, even if this is not their desire. As this infection usually occurs in children, parents and teachers need to adopt measures to control the infestation because otherwise the cycle can last for years.
Whenever a person is infected, everyone around them needs to perform the treatment to eradicate this worm. In the most severe cases, in a low-income population with few hygiene habits, it may be necessary for everyone to be treated at the same time and instructed to thoroughly clean their homes until the infestation is completely controlled.
Get to know oxyuriur remedies and everything you can do to fight this infestation.
