BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China is going to set up 22 monitoring stations nationwide to monitor geohelminthes infections, a major type of parasitic disease, said the Ministry of Health on Thursday.

    The stations will help the ministry collect epidemic data and adjust prevention and control measures in high and low prevalence regions.

    Permanent residents aged above three will receive tests for hookworm, pinworm and roundworm infections.

    Surveys on soils, temperatures, humidity, agricultural products and environment around the areas will also be carried out.

    Ten stations will be set up in high -risk regions including Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou and Sichuan, where the infection rate of geohelminthes is more than 20 percent.

    According to a survey completed by the ministry in 2004 on the status of major human parasitic diseases, China has a 19.56 percent rate of geohelminthes infection, which equals the infection rate of Japan in the 1960s and ROK in the 1980s. It is estimated that about 129 million Chinese have been infected with geohelminthes. Enditem