We have been advised of a case of threadworm in school. For more information, please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/threadworms/. If you or your child has a threadworm infection, it is not necessary to stay off school. However, it’s important to inform us at the school so that we can take steps to limit the spread of infection. The following information is NHS guidance.
What is threadworm?
Threadworm (Enterobius vermicularis) is the most common worm infection. Both children and adults can be infected, although it is mostly found in children.
How does infection spread?
Threadworm is passed from person to person and is usually spread via children. The female worms lay eggs on a person’s skin around the anus. This leads to itching and scratching of the area and then leads to eggs being transferred onto the fingers. The eggs can then be passed by direct contact, or through sharing toys, pencils and food, etc. Good hygiene is essential to stop the infection being spread, including washing hands and scrubbing under the nails before eating and after visiting the toilet.
Eggs can survive in dust for two weeks, which may lead to infection by inhaling dust. Children in childcare institutions are easily infected by each other.
Symptoms
Threadworm begins with an itchy feeling around your anus (back passage), usually at night under warm sheets. Without treatment threadworm may give rise to vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina) in girls and women. You can often see threadworms, a 1cm thread-like worm, in your child’s stools or their bottom.
Treatment
Infected children or adults should be treated as soon as possible. The rest of the family should also be treated at the same time. Threadworm can be treated with one of two medicines, mebendazole or piperazine, both of which can be bought over the counter from pharmacies. Both medicines can be given as a single dose. Your pharmacist can give you appropriate advice. Children under two years of age will need to be seen by a doctor. One treatment is usually enough.
Children can still go to school or childcare, in spite of having threadworms.
What can be done to control threadworms?
• If you have threadworms, it is important to shower in the morning in order to remove eggs and bacteria from the anal area.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after each visit to the bathroom and before each meal.
• Underwear should be changed daily.
• Bed-sheets should be changed frequently, especially 7 to 10 days after the treatment.
• Infected children and adults should keep their nails short.
• Infected children should ideally wear cotton gloves when sleeping.
• Clean your home thoroughly, especially the bedrooms, and remove as much dust as possible.
• Do not eat food in your bedroom.
• If several family members are infected, you should all be treated on the same day.
• Avoid food and drinks containing a lot of sugar, and eat high-fibre food to prevent constipation.
Children can easily pick up another threadworm infection from friends or at school, so maintaining good hygiene may help prevent re-infection.
Rydym wedi cael gwybod am achos o lyngyr edau yn yr ysgol. I gael rhagor o wybodaeth, ewch i: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/threadworms/.
Os oes gennych chi neu’ch plentyn haint llyngyr edau, nid oes angen aros i ffwrdd o’r ysgol. Fodd bynnag, mae’n bwysig ein hysbysu yn yr ysgol fel y gallwn gymryd camau i gyfyngu ar ledaeniad yr haint. Canllawiau’r GIG yw’r wybodaeth ganlynol.
Beth yw llyngyr edau?
Llyngyr edau (Enterobius vermicularis) yw’r haint llyngyr mwyaf cyffredin. Gall plant ac oedolion gael eu heintio, er ei fod i’w gael yn bennaf mewn plant.
Sut mae haint yn lledaenu?
Mae llyngyr edau yn cael ei drosglwyddo o berson i berson ac fel arfer yn cael ei ledaenu trwy blant. Mae’r llyngyr benywaidd yn dodwy wyau ar groen person o amgylch yr anws. dd cael llyngyr edau.
Beth ellir ei wneud i reoli llyngyr edau?
Os oes gennych bryfed edau, mae’n bwysig cael cawod yn y bore er mwyn tynnu wyau a bacteria o’r ardal rhefrol.
- Golchwch eich dwylo’n drylwyr ar ôl pob ymweliad â’r ystafell ymolchi a chyn pob pryd.
- Dylid newid dillad isaf bob dydd.
- Dylid newid cynfasau gwely yn aml, yn enwedig 7 i 10 diwrnod ar ôl y driniaeth.
- Dylai plant ac oedolion heintiedig gadw eu hewinedd yn fyr.
- Yn ddelfrydol dylai plant heintiedig wisgo menig cotwm wrth gysgu.
- Glanhewch eich cartref yn drylwyr, yn enwedig yr ystafelloedd gwely, a chael gwared â chymaint o lwch â phosibl.
- Peidiwch â bwyta bwyd yn eich ystafell wely.
- Os bydd sawl aelod o’r teulu wedi’u heintio, dylech gael eich trin ar yr un diwrnod.
- Ceisiwch osgoi bwyd a diodydd sy’n cynnwys llawer o siwgr, a bwyta bwyd sy’n cynnwys llawer o ffibr i atal rhwymedd.
Gall plant ddal haint llyngyr edau arall yn hawdd gan ffrindiau neu yn yr ysgol, felly gall cadw at hylendid da helpu i atal ail-heintio.