To remove threadworm eggs and prevent re-infection: Change and wash underwear, nightwear and, if possible bed linen and towels, every day for a few days. A hot water wash, or the heat of an iron, will kill the eggs. Do not shake bed linen indoors as this can spread eggs around.
Launder in hot water. Wash bedsheets, pajamas, underwear, washcloths and towels in hot water to help kill pinworm eggs.
❖ Every morning have a bath, or wash around the anus, to get rid of any eggs laid overnight. You must do this straight away after getting up from bed.
Although some disinfectants may delay or stop the embryonation of A. suum eggs, they can hardly kill them completely. A number of zoonotic pathogens, in particular intestinal parasites, can be transmitted from livestock and pets to humans [1].
Using a patented process Contec ProChlor V provides a 95% reduction in pinworm eggs in 10 minutes.
Medicine can kill pinworms but not their eggs which can survive outside of the body for up to two weeks. Hand sanitiser is not effective against threadworms or their eggs, the best thing to do is wash hands regularly, scrub under fingernails, and wash clothing and bedsheets on hot cycles regularly.
Daily morning bathing and changing of underclothes helps remove a large proportion of pinworm eggs and can help prevent infection and reinfection. Showering may be preferred to avoid possible contamination of bath water.
However, this risk is removed if the water is left to stand for 72 hours or is treated with chlorine or other chemicals – even something as mild as Dettol in the bath will kill these parasites.
Wash all the sheets, blankets, towels, and clothing in the house in hot water. Carefully clean everyone's fingernails (which may hold the worm eggs) and cut them short. Scrub toys, countertops, floors, and other surfaces the infected child has touched. Vacuum carpets.
In order to stop the spread of pinworm and possible re-infection, people who are infected should shower every morning to help remove a large amount of the eggs on the skin.
The eggs get stuck on your fingers when you scratch. They can then pass on to anything you touch, including: clothes.
During treatment and for a few weeks afterwards, it's also important to follow strict hygiene measures to avoid spreading the threadworm eggs. This includes regularly vacuuming your house and thoroughly washing your bathroom and kitchen.
The worms die after about six weeks. Provided that you do not swallow any new eggs, no new worms will grow to replace them. So, if you continue the hygiene measures described above for six weeks, this should break the cycle of re-infection, and clear your gut of threadworms.
The eggs can survive on surfaces or objects (such as furniture, kitchen surfaces and toothbrushes) for up to 2 weeks in the right conditions and can infect other people if transferred to the mouth or food. Household pets cannot be infected with pinworms or pass them on to humans.
Parasite infection: Baking soda is a natural remedy for parasitic worms which can infest the digestive tract. Drinking a quarter teaspoon of soda in warm water for three days helps remove parasites from the body.
Based on data from the current study, 4–5 seconds of exposure at 80°C appears sufficient to inactivate Ascaris eggs. At 75°C and 70°C treatment may also be effective, but exposure time should be increased to achieve the same level of inactivation.
If the skin is irritated a dilute mild antiseptic can help. Applying Vaseline to the skin after cleaning can help protect the skin and prevent the eggs sticking.
If you are self-treating for pinworms, take the medication once only. Do not repeat the dose without talking with your doctor first. Depending on the type of worm infection you have, your doctor may direct you to take the medication only once or for several days.
Rubbing Alcohol
The isopropanol in rubbing alcohol has disinfecting and antimicrobial properties (17). It can help kill the pinworms and also prevent the recurrence of the infection.
You can catch threadworm if you get worm eggs on your hands and put your hands in your mouth. You can treat threadworm with a single dose of medicine available over-the-counter from the pharmacy. To prevent the spread of threadworm, treat the whole family at the same time and encourage good hygiene.
Lastly, open up the window shades and let the sun in. Ultraviolet sunlight kills pinworm eggs and can help decontaminate bedrooms.
Pinworm eggs can also be transferred to the fingers from clothing or bedding, and then spread around the home. Eggs may be inhaled from the air or deposited onto food and swallowed. Pinworms can survive up to two weeks on clothing, bedding or other objects, if kept at room temperature.
Pinworm eggs become infective within a few hours after being deposited on the skin around the anus and can survive on objects for 2 to 3 weeks.
Change bed linens and put clean underwear and clothes on every day. Avoid shaking these things so that eggs are not put into the air. Promptly wash used bed linen, all clothing, towels and washcloths in hot water with detergent. Vacuum carpets and floors well.