Pinworm (parasite)

Pinworm
Pinworms (U.S.)/Threadworms (U.K.) (Enterobius vermicularis)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Nematoda
Class:	Chromadorea
Order:	Rhabditida
Family:	Oxyuridae
Genus:	Enterobius Baird, 1853
Species
Enterobius anthropopitheci (Gedoelst, 1916)[1] (chimpanzee pinworm)[2] Enterobius atelis Cameron, 1929[3] Enterobius brevicauda Sandosham, 1950[3] Enterobius buckleyi Sandosham, 1950[3][2] Enterobius callithricis Solomon, 1932[3] Enterobius duplicidens Buckley, 1931[3] Enterobius emodensis [2] Enterobius foecunda (Linstow, 1879)[3] Enterobius gregorii (Hugot, 1983) (disputed)[4][5][6][3] Enterobius inglisi [3] Enterobius interlabiata Sandosham, 1950[3] Enterobius lagothricis Buckley, 1931[3] Enterobius lemuris Baehr, 1935[3] Enterobius lerouxi Sandosham, 1950[3] Enterobius macaci [2] Enterobius magnispicula [3] Enterobius paraguerezae [3] Enterobius parallela (Linstow, 1908)[3] Enterobius pesteri [3] Enterobius pitheci Cameron, 1929[3] Enterobius polyoon (Linstow, 1909)[3] Enterobius pygatrichus [3] Enterobius schaefferae [3] Enterobius shriveri [3][2] Enterobius vermicularis (Linnaeus, 1758)[1] (human pinworm)[2][3] Enterobius yagoi Sutton, 1979[3]

The pinworm (species Enterobius vermicularis), also known as threadworm (in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) or seatworm, is a parasitic worm. It is a nematode (roundworm) and a common intestinal parasite or helminth, especially in humans.^[7] The medical condition associated with pinworm infestation is known as pinworm infection (enterobiasis)^[8] (a type of helminthiasis) or less precisely as oxyuriasis in reference to the family Oxyuridae.^[9]

Other than human, Enterobius vermicularis were reported from bonnet macaque.^[10] Other species seen in primates include Enterobius buckleyi in Orangutan^[11] and Enterobius anthropopitheci in chimpanzee. Enterobius vermicularis is common in human children and transmitted via the faecal-oral route. Humans are the only natural host of Enterobius vermicularis.^[12] Enterobius gregorii, another human species is morphologically indistinguishable from Enterobius vermicularis except the spicule size.^[13] Throughout this article, the word "pinworm" refers to Enterobius. In British usage, however, pinworm refers to Strongyloides, while Enterobius is called threadworm.^[14]