3 in 5 migrant workers have worms... and many handle your food

Two hookworms attached to the intestinal mucosa. Those with mild infections can have no symptoms at all, leaving them oblivious to their infected state. Photo: US CDC

For many of us, intestinal parasites might seem a relic of the past, consigned there by the vast improvement in sewerage and sanitation facilities, and personal hygiene practices, in the country since Independence.

However, such infections by worms and protozoan parasites are still an important public health problem among disadvantaged communities like the Orang Asli and Orang Asal, the rural poor in estates and villages, and the urban poor in squatter areas, particularly among children.