Amy, four years old, is having anal itching and comes to the doctor after severa

Question

Amy, four years old, is having anal itching and comes to the doctor after several days of scratching and rubbing. Her mom used Vaseline and cortisone cream without relief. She has not had diarrhea or itching elsewhere. Amy attends day care four days a week and appears well. The perianal region appears inflamed, so a scotch tape sample is taken for microscopic examination. The exam shows a nematode larva inside an ovoid egg.

            14. Name the etiologic agent causing Amy’s pruritis.
            15.  Describe in detail the transmission of this microbe.

Explanation / Answer

Amy's pruritis is caused by the microbe Enterobius vermicularis which is a type of pinworm infection and the main symptoms include the Pruritis Ani. In this there is severe pain around the anal region and perineal area. Itching is so severe that it leads to scratching and swelling around the anal area as in case of Amy. Itching is mainly sever at night as female microbe lay eggs at night which is irritable. TRANSMISSION OF MICROBE:- The transmission of the microbe is usually from human to human transmission by ingesting food and water contaminated with pinworm eggs. The eggs remain viable for upto three weeks and once they deposited near the anal area they transmitted to the other body parts through nails, fingers, clothes and through contaminated food and water in case of improper hygiene. Dust containing eggs can dispersed in air when dislodged from clothes and linen when they are shaken and then enters into mouth by breathing and can be swallowed later. Thus the eggs multiply in the host body and once the larva is hatched in the anal area they spread to other parts causing infection and itching.

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