“I found it in my stool/poop”, writes Shagufta in her submission regarding the long, pink worm pictured below. “The picture attached, in fact, [was taken] before [my] stool. What should I do?” Typically, we cannot respond to these types of submissions with much information regarding the identity of the worms, meaning those submissions which have to do with worms that come from people’s bodies. Given the potential health-related implications of finding an organism in one’s body, we are neither qualified or legally able to identify such an organism. Only a medical professional is. Of course, that is not really what Shagufta is asking: she asks what she should do. But, it is important that we note the second thing Shagufta writes in her submission; the photo was taken before she used the bathroom. This completely contradicts what she writes in the beginning, so we still want to tread with caution here.

What we will do is provide an identification which Shagufta should only consider if the photo was “in fact” taken before her stool. In this case, we think it looks like an earthworm. Earthworms are harmless to humans and pets, and definitely do not show up in people’s stools. They live underground where they feed on decaying plant matter, breaking down and returning it to the earth as nutrient-rich waste. It is not entirely uncommon for them to show up in people’s toilets. It can happen if there is a leak in the pipe systems somewhere underground. If the leak is nearby, Shagufta will notice some signs, such as inconsistent water pressure, discolored water, foul smelling or tasting water, or that the temperature of the water fluctuates. Provided that this is an earthworm, all Shagufta has to do is move the worm outside. Other than that, she might want to contact a professional or her council about this issue to get it resolved to prevent future invasions.

Now, if Shagufta is actually certain that this worm came from her stool, then she should disregard what we have said above and instead seek the opinion of a medical professional. We are neither qualified nor legally able to identify worms that come from people’s bodies, because identifying any organism that is potentially affecting the health of an individual is tantamount to providing a medical diagnosis, which only a medical professional can do. Given the nature of this potential medical issue, we suggest consulting a medical parasitologist as they specialize in this area, whereas primary care physicians are often not trained to diagnose and treat ailments related to organisms. To find a medical parasitologist or other health care provider who can actually help, Shagufta can do one or more of the following:
– Visit our parasite care resources page here: https://www.allaboutworms.com/get-medical-attention-and-tests-for-parasites

– Search for a medical parasitologist in her area using this directory of medical parasitology consultants: https://www.astmh.org/for-astmh-members/clinical-consultants-directory.

– Search for a local parasitologist by doing a Google search for “medical parasitologist (name of the closest big city)” or “tropical medicine specialist (name of the closest big city)”.

In conclusion, we cannot say with certainty what this worm is or what Shagufta should do about this discovery, given the ambiguity surrounding her situation. If the worm was found before she used the toilet, we think it is an earthworm and we suggest moving the worm outside and contacting a professional and/or her council about this discovery. If she is certain it was in her stool, then we suggest consulting a medical parasitologist. We hope this helps, and we wish Shagufta the very best.

Summary

Article Name

Long Pink Worm in Toilet is an Earthworm

Description

"I found it in my stool/poop", writes Shagufta in her submission regarding the long, pink worm pictured below. "The picture attached, in fact, [was taken] before [my] stool. What should I do?" Typically, we cannot respond to these types of submissions with much information regarding the identity of the worms, meaning those submissions which have to do with worms that come from people's bodies. Given the potential health-related implications of finding an organism in one's body, we are neither qualified or legally able to identify such an organism. Only a medical professional is. Of course, that is not really what Shagufta is asking: she asks what she should do. But, it is important that we note the second thing Shagufta writes in her submission; the photo was taken before she used the bathroom. This completely contradicts what she writes in the beginning, so we still want to tread with caution here.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton