Bengaluru: Due to sustained govt efforts and increased parental awareness, cases of worm infestations among children came down drastically over the last few years. Ahead of National Deworming Day on Feb 10—when children in schools and anganwadi centres are administered deworming tablets—doctors said that while pinworm infections were still seen, soil-transmitted helminths such as roundworms and hookworms reduced significantly.“We rarely see cases of roundworms, hookworms or tapeworms anymore. Roundworms caused serious complications, including intestinal obstruction, and hookworms were a major problem as each worm would suck 0.5 ml of blood daily and lead to anaemia. Hookworms were common among barefoot walkers. With most children no longer walking barefoot, such cases declined. Other worms also reduced due to the govt’s six-monthly deworming programme,” said Dr Sanjay KS, director and professor of paediatrics at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health.
He added that a few pinworm cases persisted due to unhygienic practices, though these too declined. “Treatment requires two doses spaced 15 days apart. Cases are more common in rural, peri-urban, and slum areas than in cities. Stomach pain and loss of appetite are common symptoms,” he said.Doctors in private practice also reported that worm infestations were now rare, attributing the drop to greater parental awareness. “We see only 6-10 cases a year, mostly pinworms. Anal or genital itching and disturbed sleep are the main symptoms. Earlier signs like stomach pain or teeth grinding are now uncommon,” said Dr Rakshay Shetty, clinical director and head of paediatric intensive care services at Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Marathahalli.He advised parents to ensure that kids bathed daily, wore clean undergarments, kept their nails clean, and changed linens every five days to prevent infection.Health department officials said the overall prevalence of worm infestation in Karnataka was around 46% and slightly declined over the last few years. “Improving Wash (water, sanitation and hygiene) practices and curbing open defecation remain key to further reduction,” a senior official said.Around 1.9 crore children across the state will be covered under this year’s deworming programme beginning Feb 10. Under the National Deworming Day initiative, Albendazole tablets will be administered to children and adolescents aged 1–19 years in anganwadis, schools and colleges, with a mop-up day on Feb 16 for absentees or sick children.Special efforts will also include private schools and hard-to-reach populations to ensure wider coverage, the health department said.MSID:: 128116835 413 |
