Medan tapeworms freeload<\/p>\n
MEDAN, North Sumatra: Hundreds of thousands of school-aged
\nchildren in the city give Rp 160.6 million (US$68,340) a year in
\nfree meals to tapeworms slithering about in their stomachs, an
\nexpert said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Tumpal Napitupulu, a parasitologist from North Sumatra
\nUniversity, said in a seminar his recent study found that 76.8
\npercent of 2,000 elementary school children in the city have
\ntapeworms and suffer from malnutrition.<\/p>\n
Each child could have up to 20 worms, each perhaps as long as
\n30 centimeters, in their intestines. With a lifespan of two
\nyears, the animal steals 0.14 grams of carbohydrates and 0.035
\ngrams of protein a day, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The tapeworms steal carbohydrates which equal 440 kilograms
\nof rice a day from Medan's 280,694 elementary school children,\"
\nthe expert said.<\/p>\n
If each kilogram of rice costs Rp 1,000, then during their
\ntwo-year lifespan, the worms receive Rp 321.2 in free meals from
\nthe children, he reckoned as reported by Antara.<\/p>\n
He said he believed over 70 percent of Indonesia's 200 million
\npopulation has tapeworms.<\/p>\n
If the worms were laid head to tail they would stretch 50
\ntimes the distance between Sabang on the westernmost tip of
\nIndonesia to Merauke in the east, Napitupulu said, or 32,0000
\nkilometers. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/medan-tapeworms-freeload-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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