Pinworm infections occur in 5% to 15% of the general population in the United States, although the number of those infected has been declining in recent years. Pinworm infections are most common in young school-age children.1
- Infections occur in people of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds.2
- Up to 50% of people living in institutions suffer from pinworm infections.1
- Infections are more common in people who live in warm (temperate) climates. However, people living in cold climates who infrequently bathe or change underclothes are also more likely to have pinworm infections.
Children
School-age children between the ages of 5 and 10 have the highest pinworm infection rates.3
Adults
Pinworm infections in adults are most common among people living in institutions and among parents or caregivers of infected children.1
References
Citations
American Academy of Pediatrics (2003). Pinworm infection. In LK Pickering, ed., Red Book: 2003 Report of the Committee on Infectious Disease, 26th ed., pp. 486–489. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.
Del Valle A, Cappello M (2002). Enterobius vermicularis (pinworms). In FD Burg et al., eds., Gellis and Kagan's Current Pediatric Therapy, 17th ed., p. 173. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
Bundy DAP, et al. (2000). Nematodes limited to the intestinal tract (Enterobius vermicularis, Trichuris trichiura, and Capillaria philippinensis). In GT Strickland, ed., Hunter's Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 8th ed., pp. 719–721. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
Credits
| Author | Amy Fackler, MA |
| Author | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics |
| Last Updated | October 2, 2006 |
Debby Golonka, MPH
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