Apart from being fun and exciting, the app provides players with knowledge about the parasitic disease opisthorchiasis and bile-duct cancer cholangiocarcinoma.

The Northeast has a higher-than-normal prevalence of both diseases due to the consumption of uncooked freshwater white-scale fish.

Hence this Pokemon Go-inspired application developed jointly by KKU Library and the Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program (CASCAP) could come in handy to educate youths and civilians, KKU Library director Associate Professor Dr Wanida Kanarkard said.

The users, especially the young, will obtain useful information about the diseases and learn the value of eating properly cooked fish, which they can pass on to others, she said.

Fish carries parasites

Freshwater fish carries parasites that can live in the human body for up to 20 years and puts the hosts at greater risk of developing opisthorchiasis and cholangiocarcinoma.

“Upon starting the application, players are given clues and pictures along with a light indicator,” CASCAP executive director Assistant Professor Dr Nissana Namwat said. “Just like Pokemon Go, they will have to walk around to find iBeacons at 10 locations across the university campus. If the indicator turns red, then you are far from the destination, and it turns yellow when you come closer. Once the indicator turns green, the player’s phone will vibrate and they will have to turn on the camera to scan the QR code to reveal the parasite or related item on the screen.

“They will have to answer questions to get scores, which they can also share on Facebook. The highest-scoring players will get rewards. Also, information about the diseases and parasites will be stored on a Collection Page and can be read at any time.”

This application is using technology to provide medical information to people in a fun and exciting way, she said.