NT Reporter
Ponda
Panic briefly gripped the Nagzar area of Ponda on Thursday morning following the sighting of a rare one-metre-long, thread-like parasite locally known as the Naru worm or Guinea worm. This is the second such sighting in Ponda this year, the previous one reported in August during the rainy season at the home of Sandeep Khandeparkar.
The latest sighting occurred at the residence of Priya Naik, a tailor operating from the Ponda Market. Naik initially mistook the worm, found in a bucket of water, for a thread. On noticing it move, she alerted her husband and later carried it to the Ponda Market to show others. Her action quickly drew public attention and prompted a swift response from health officials.
A team led by Dr Puja Gaude visited the area and collected a sample of the worm for examination. It will be sent to the Health Office in Panaji for further analysis.
Dr Gaude said the Naru worm is believed to spread through contaminated water and open defecation and can infest the human stomach. The adult worm later emerges through a painful blister, typically on the lower leg. Health authorities have issued an advisory, urging residents to drink only boiled water, maintain strict cleanliness, and immediately visit the Ponda Sub-District Hospital if experiencing stomach pain, fever, or loose motion.
Dr Gaude also said that health authorities plan to inspect nearby areas, including slum settlements, which may face higher contamination risk.
Local senior citizen Lavu Naik recalled hearing about the Naru worm in his childhood as a creature known to cause leg-related problems, though he had never seen one himself. States like Maharashtra have reportedly made significant progress in eradicating the Guinea worm by restricting access to contaminated water sources.
