A reader recently sent us a photograph of a worm she found in her toilet and asked, “What kind of worm is this?” She explained, “I found it in the toilet after using the toilet to pee. I don’t believe it is from me but I’m not 100% sure. It could also be from a young family member who used the bathroom before me. He has been sick lately with a cough, stuffy nose, fever, and stomach ache.” The photo she sent clearly shows a long, brown worm in a toilet:
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Despite our reader finding this creature in her toilet after using it, we are fairly certain it didn’t come from her or her family member’s body. We believe this is an earthworm, not a parasite! That being said, if our reader is truly worried about her or her family member’s health, we encourage her to visit a doctor ASAP. We are not health professionals and therefore cannot give any medical advice!
We believe this is an earthworm for a few reasons. The first is that it looks like an earthworm. While they can vary a bit in size, shape, and color, earthworms are generally thin, long, and brown. They have segmented bodies, and no legs or distinctive features or appendages. In addition to being a match looks-wise, readers also discover earthworms in their toilets fairly regularly. Earthworms need moisture to survive and can actually survive submerged in water for long periods of time!
We still haven’t figured out exactly how earthworms get into people’s toilets. Our best guess is that they end up in the toilet bowl by means of the pipes and plumbing system, but we aren’t totally sure. As long as our reader doesn’t continue to find worms in her toilet, she can write this off as a one-time occurrence. On the other hand, if earthworms continue to show up in her toilet, there might be a plumbing issue that requires professional attention. We recommend she wait to see if more worms turn up before calling a professional!
To conclude, we believe the worm that our reader found in her toilet came from her pipes, not her body! We are confident it is an earthworm, not a parasite! Of course, if she is convinced that it came from her body, she should see a doctor ASAP since we are not licensed medical professionals.
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