Guinea Worm: What is it and what is being done to eradicate it?

Guinea Worm disease is caused by Dracunculus medinensis, one of the largest parasitic worms to infect humans. A female Guinea Worm can carry 3 million embryos and can be as long as 80 cm and as wide as 20 mm. The parasite is contracted through contaminated water. The parasite is contracted when someone consumes contaminated water that has Guinea Worm larvae. Then the larvae travel through the subcutaneous tissues of the person. Usually the worm will present itself as a blister or sore on the victim’s leg or foot, and the feeling is an intense burning sensation, leading the victim to dunk their extremity in a water source (Muller, 1979). This continues the worm’s life cycle because when the blister is submerged, the worm releases larvae, further contaminating the water and spreading the disease (Fig. 1).

The pain caused from a Guinea Worm infection is excruciating and debilitating. To get rid of the worm, a stick must be used to slowly pull out the large worm from the body. This process could take weeks to months because it is important not to break the body of the worm in the process, and most times the pain is too intense to bear for many hours. The disease itself is not necessarily fatal, but infection around the blister caused by the worm can be (WHO, 2016). Since the cause of this disease is unclean water, it is common that  

There is no vaccine or medication for Guinea Worm, the only way to eradicate it is by behavior modification. This disease is found in the poorest countries in the world, where clean water is hard to come by, and knowledge behind how the disease is spread could be a mystery. Teaching communities to filter water thoroughly before drinking can help put an end to the disease.  Additionally, by explaining the life cycle of the Guinea Worm to those in countries affected by the parasite, the risk of contaminating water sources will dwindle. The Carter Center,  WHO and UNICEF have all  been vital parts in helping with this eradication process. In the mid 1980s, the disease was spread over 20 countries, covering Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, with over 3.5 million people infected. Now, in 2016, the disease is confined to the countries of Chad, Mali, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. If the eradication process stays on track, this will be the second disease, after smallpox, to be eradicated. The eradication granting process can begin after 12 consecutive months with no cases of the disease. Then the country will be on surveillance for 3 years, and if no cases are detected, then the country can be granted a certificate of eradication  (Ruiz-Tibin et al., 2006).

Unfortunately, humans are not the only host for Guinea Worm, dogs are also a prime host for the nasty parasite. The canines responsible for the continuation of the disease are primarily in Chad, and it is astonishing the dramatic increase of cases of Guinea Worm in dogs (Fig. 2). This issue could seriously thwart the eradication process of the disease (Galan-Puchades, 2016).

Figure 1: The Carter Center

Figure 2: Guinea Worm in Canines, Carter Center and CDC

Works Cited:

Muller, R. “Guinea Worm Disease: Epidemiology, Control, and Treatment.”Bulletin of the World Health Organization. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1979. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

“About Guinea-worm Disease.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

Ruiz-Tibin, Ernesto, and Donald Hopkins R. “Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm Disease) Eradication.” Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm Disease) Eradication. N.p., 2006. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

“Eradication Program.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 June 2015. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.

Galan-Puchades, Teresa. “Dogs and Guinea Worm Eradication.” The Lancet. N.p., July 2016. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.