Survey tests students for worms

Survey tests students for worms

SERIBU ISLANDS: A survey has reported that residents of Panggang island had the highest incidence of intestinal worms in the province of Jakarta.

A laboratory test revealed that 575 students or 86 percent of the 670 tested at three state-owned elementary schools in Panggang subdistrict were infected with intestinal worms.

"Many parents here are not aware of good hygiene for the family and their children, despite the ongoing public health campaign at school," said Abdul Muhyi, the school principal of SDN Panggang 01.

Island residents, mainly high school students, responded positively to the survey, which has been conducted by the Kusuma Buana Foundation since 1995, with more than 1,000 participants submitting fecal samples for lab tests.

The foundation's report said that the prevalence of intestinal worms among those students surveyed had dropped by 10 percent from 96 percent in 1997 to 86 percent in 2002.

Tanjung Priok was previously considered the area with the highest incidence of intestinal worms as 27 percent of the 12,148 students surveyed at 85 elementary schools were infected. --JP