How Do Pinworms Spread?

How do you get pinworms? Pinworm infection is spread through a fecal-oral route of transmission. This refers to infectious agents in the GI tract passing from one person to another via contaminated objects and lack of proper hygiene (hand washing after using the restroom). Where does pinworm come from? People are newly infected by ingesting pinworm eggs that may be on countertops, shared food, bedding, clothing, and other objects. Children may ingest pinworm eggs by sucking on their fingers or thumbs. Pinworm eggs may also become airborne, inhaled, and swallowed, resulting in infection.

People may worry about pinworms in dogs and pinworms in cats, but it is a common misconception that family pets harbor the parasites. While pet dogs and cats can harbor many other types of parasites that can infect people, humans are the only host for pinworms.