Internal parasite infection prevalent among children in Central Mazaruni

Nov 13, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The United States (U.S.) Civil Affairs team during a recent trip it made to Central Mazaruni, Region Seven observed that internal parasite infection is prevalent among children living there.

Leader of the US Civil Affairs team, Aaron Staton speaking with the Toshao and villagers of Tassarene, Mazaruni, Region Seven.

That trip was made in early October and is the second one that the U.S. team made to a geographically challenging location in order to identify a suitable area to host a large-scale medical outreach there. The team had hosted a successful medical outreach in Region One, which saw 2500 persons benefitting from the services it had provided and wants to repeat another one in Region Seven.
In September, the team visited the Cuyuni district of Region Seven, and in October it visited the Central Mazaruni communities of Issano, Kangaruma, Issenaru, Seabang and Tassarene .
According to Team Leader, Aaron Staton, “The purpose of the trip was to look at potential sites for a medical outreach, and figure out the medical needs of the villages along the Mazaruni River”.

The Civil Affairs team, along with Region Seven Chairman, Kenneth Williams meeting a resident in the middle Mazaruni district.

One of the medical issues that residents face in Central Mazaruni communities is internal parasite infection and it is more prevalent among the children. The team identified the parasite affecting the children as “tapeworm/fish tapeworm”.
The fish tapeworm is considered to be the largest parasite that infects humans. Humans become infected with the parasite when they eat raw or undercooked freshwater fish that contain fish tapeworm cysts.
Staton pointed out that in Kangaruma, there was one child that was severely infected with the parasite, who could barely move around.
He estimates that among the group of 25 persons that the U.S. team met in the area, at least two children had internal parasite infection.
The team also said that residents of Central Mazaruni are also in need of paediatric and dentistry services.
Staton explained that there are special vitamins that children need to boost their immunity against certain infections.
Other medical issues that infect residents are malaria, dengue fever, and high blood pressure.
There were also complaints of skin rashes in the village of Tassarene and its Toshao Village Captain had told the team he believes that it might be caused by the use of mercury in the river by miners, and mining vessels that dredge up the water.

A photo taken of a skin rash that infected a little girl at Issano

He showed the team a little girl that was infected by the skin rash. According to Staton, “the young girl’s skin would go through cycles where it would ooze pus, and then scab over, and then ooze more pus again.”
Upon the completion of the trip, the villagers gave the U.S. team a cake of cassava bread to show their appreciation for its plans to host a medical outreach in Region Seven.
The team has decided that it will return to the area on December 4 and 5, and will stop at Bartica to conduct a mini outreach. On those two days, the team will also conduct first aid training with medics stationed in the various Region Seven communities.
It will then follow-up with a mega outreach in early January 2022 at Issano, Central Mazaruni, Region Seven.