The police are investigating the alleged use of meat from sick pigs at several schools in Bac Ninh Province as the number of children tested positive for cysticercosis has climbed to 209.

Thousands of parents in Bac Ninh Province bring children to hospitals to test for cysticercosis on March 17

The police in Bac Ninh Province said on March 18 that they would cooperate with the police in Thuan Thanh District to further investigate the case.

Nguyen Tu Quynh, chairman of Bac Ninh People's Committee, had held a meeting on March 16 with the police, management agencies and Thuan Thanh District. Bac Ninh Department of Health was asked to co-operate with other departments to carry out the tests for the children.

Colonel Nguyen Van Long, director of Bac Ninh Department of Public Security, said Huong Thanh Financial Investment Company was the supplier for Thanh Khuong Commune Nursery School. They are still investigating the case and have found several violations at Huong Thanh Company. 

Dr Nguyen Quang Thieu, vice head of the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology said cysticercosis was not an acute disease so the children didn't show any noticeable symptoms. They would be fully cured after following the treatment regime.

The case was revealed after parents at Thanh Khuong Commune Nursery School noticed that the pork used at school had cysts like the meat from sick pigs. 44 out of 173 samples were tested positive to cysticercosis. After that, it was found out that many other children in Thuan Thanh District are also exposed to cysticercosis.

As of March 17, about 1,500 children were brought to Hanoi to test for cysticercosis. Out of which 209 were found to have indications of the disease, however, doctors said the number of ill children was still on the rise. Due to the huge number of children needed to be tested, on the next day, the local department of health supported the families by taking samples from children at 19 nursery schools in Thuan Thanh District to send to the hospitals so that the parents will not have to wait at hospitals.

Dtinews