Differential Dx: Roundworms, whipworms, and
threadworms- An early idea to explain population cycles in Red Grouse was that "overcrowding creates disease" Dougall (1875), and Wilson and Leslie (1911) showed that a parasitic cecal
threadworm caused "grouse disease." High average burdens of
threadworms are sometimes associated with population declines.
Birmingham City Council education officials denied the school has had an outbreak of
threadworm.
Doctors have identified a tropical
threadworm - strongyloidiasis - as the probable cause.
It recommends pupils take zero days off school should they contract a range of conditions including hand foot and mouth, conjunctivitis, glandular fever, head lice,
threadworm, tonsillitis and slapped cheek.
Make an appointment to see your doctor if you are not sure that your child has a
threadworm infestation, or if a child under three months has
threadworms.
The best way to tell if a child has
threadworm is to observe their behaviour, and if there are no obvious symptoms, while not pleasant, check your little one's stools - if there are worms, they will appear like cotton thread in the faeces.
There are a number of possible causes, but
threadworm would be top of my list in a child of your son's age.The worms live near the appendix and the females travel down to the anus to lay their eggs, causing an itchy bottom which is typically worse at night.
Conditions which may be included in the scheme are constipation, indigestion, hay fever, coughs, sore throats, athlete's foot, thrush, head lice, diarrhoea, warts, verucas and
threadworm.
The classic symptoms of
threadworm infection are an itchy bottom (caused by an allergic reaction to the eggs) and noticing white thread- like worms when going to the loo.
By the time children are 10 there is a 40% chance they will have been infected at some stage with
threadworm; one in five will have had head lice and between 2% and 4% of the UK population will suffer from scabies at some time in their life.
THERE are lots of causes of an itchy bottom in a three-year-old, but
threadworm would be pretty high up on my list.