Rare Naru Worm Sighting Sparks Panic in Nagzar, Ponda; Health Officials Issue Advisory

Panic spread in Nagzar, Ponda, on Saturday morning after residents spotted a rare one-metre long thread-like creature locally known as the Naru worm (Guinea worm). This is the second such sighting in Ponda this year, with the first reported during the rainy season in August at the house of Sandeep Khan deparkar. Health officials led by Dr Puja Gaude visited the area soon after receiving reports and issued advisories urg ing residents to drink only boiled water and maintain cleanliness. The officials also collected a sample of the worm for examination and said it would be sent to the Health Office in Panjim for further analysis. The latest sighting oc curred at the home of Priya Naik, a tailor working in the Ponda Market. According to her, she noticed the worm in a bucket containing a small amount of water while doing her routine work. Mistaking it for a thread at first, she realised it was moving and called her hus band. Out of curiosity, she later carried the worm to the market to show others, which quickly drew public attention and prompted the health team’s visit. Dr Gaude said the worm, believed to spread through contaminated water and open defecation, can infest the human stomach. She advised residents to drink only boiled water and to immediately visit the Pon da Sub-District Hospital if they experience stomach pain, fever, or loose motion. She said health authorities would also inspect near by areas, including nearby slum settlements that may be at higher risk. The Naru worm (Guinea worm) is known to infect humans who drink water contaminated with lar vae. The adult worm later emerges through a painful blister, usually on the lower legs. Local senior citizen Lavu Naik said he had of ten heard about the Naru worm during his childhood as a creature known to cause leg-related problems, though he had never seen one himself. He remarked that it was unusual to hear about such a case in Ponda after so many decades. It is learnt that states like Maharashtra have made significant progress in eradicating the Naru worm by preventing access to contaminated water