Ascaris control project for primary school children in Taiwan.

In Taiwan Ascaris infection is often above 50% for the rural population and among children in the eastern part of the province it sometimes reaches 80% with 83% of these infected in children under 15. The governments pilot project for Ascaris control was begun in 1971. The initial project area was in Nantou county where children were given santonin-kainic acid treated once every 2-4 months; since June 1971 total consumption of the anthelminthic drug was 2667951 tablets. Infection rate for this area dropped significantly as did the intensity of infection. Treatment was then spread to all primary schools in the entire province with a provision of santonin-kainic acid mixture 4 times/year. By 1973 the acceptance rate for the 1st and 2nd medication was 80% but for the 3rd and 4th it fell to 60%; 69% of the 2 million primary school children accepted 4 times. The ascaris rate dropped from 48.7% to 18.2%. In 1974 acceptance rates for all 4 medications was only about 55%. When there was a 5-month interval between treatments infection rates rose again to about 49% but fell to 22% after treatment. Some future plans include: 1) continuation of blanket treatment 2) public health education through mass communication 3) change in the measure of blanket treatment in 1977 to whole-scale examination and the treatment of eggs carriers only and 4) organization of a volunteer control association like those in Japan and Korea.