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Dracunculiasis, or Guinea worm disease, is an infection by the Guinea worm that causes severe pain and open wounds when guinea worms exit the body through the skin. [1] In 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million cases of Guinea worm in 20 endemic nations in Asia and Africa. [ 2 ]
Guinea worm disease remains on the cusp of being eradicated, with the global number of cases in 2023 holding steady at 13, according to a provisional account released by The Carter Center. Global ...
Dracunculiasis, also called Guinea-worm disease, is a parasitic infection by the Guinea worm, Dracunculus medinensis.A person becomes infected by drinking water contaminated with Guinea-worm larvae that reside inside copepods (a type of small crustacean).
Unlike diseases such as smallpox and polio, there is no vaccine or drug therapy for guinea worm. [44] Eradication efforts have been based on making drinking water supplies safer (e.g. by provision of borehole wells, or through treating the water with larvicide), on containment of infection and on education for safe drinking water practices.
The village of 500 people hadn’t seen Guinea worm infections since 2014, until Nyingong Aguek and her two sons drank swampy water while traveling in 2022. A fourth person also got infected. “Having the worm pulled out is more painful than giving birth,” said Aguek, pointing to scars where four worms emerged from her left leg.
Former President Jimmy Carter delivers a lecture on the eradication of the Guinea worm at the House of Lords in London on Feb. 3, 2016. Only one human disease — smallpox — has been eradicated ...
Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea worm, dragon worm, fiery serpent [1]) is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis, also known as guinea worm disease. [2] The disease is caused by the female [ 3 ] which, at around 80 centimetres (31 inches) in length, [ 4 ] is among the longest nematodes infecting humans. [ 5 ]
Dracunculiasis is also known as Guinea-worm disease. In 2019, 53 cases were reported across four countries, [44] a substantial decrease from 3,500,000 cases in 1986. [45] It is not fatal, but can cause months of inactivity. [46] It is caused by drinking water contaminated by water fleas infected with guinea-worm larvae. [46]