Guinea worm disease, a
neglected tropical disease
(NTD), is caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis. The disease affects poor communities in remote parts of Africa that do not have safe water to drink. There is neither a drug treatment for Guinea worm disease nor a vaccine to prevent it.
Is Guinea worm disease fatal?
Guinea-worm disease is rarely fatal
. Frequently, however, the patient remains sick for several months, mainly because: The emergence of the worm, sometimes several, is accompanied by painful oedema, intense generalised pruritus, blistering and an ulceration of the area from which the worm emerges.
Is Guinea worm curable?
What is the treatment for Guinea worm disease?
There is no drug to treat Guinea worm disease
and no vaccine to prevent infection. Once part of the worm begins to come out of the wound, the rest of the worm can only be pulled out a few centimeters each day by winding it around a piece of gauze or a small stick.
What is the history of Guinea worm disease?
Guinea worm disease through history. Some of the earliest known evidence of guinea worm disease comes
from the Ebers Papyrus
, an ancient Egyptian compilation of medical texts dated to about 1550 bce. The texts described the process of extracting the worm from the body by winding it around a stick.
Why is guinea worm infection called an empty granary disease?
In Mali, Guinea worm is known as “the disease of the empty granary”
because of the starvation it has caused
. Swellings beneath the bandages on these boys’ feet may hide Guinea worms preparing to emerge. By staying at a case containment center, the boys avoid contaminating public waters.
Are guinea worms painful?
When the adult female worm comes out of the skin,
it can be very painful
, take time to remove, and be disabling. Often, the wound caused by the emerging worm develops a secondary bacterial infection. This makes the pain worse and can increase the time an infected person is unable to function from weeks to months.
How long can a guinea worm grow?
These adults are
60-100 centimeters (2-3 feet) long
and as wide as a cooked spaghetti noodle. When the adult female worm is ready to come out, it creates a blister on the skin anywhere on the body, but usually on the legs and feet.
What happens if a guinea worm breaks?
If the worm breaks during removal it can
cause intense inflammation as the remaining part of
the dead worm starts to degrade inside the body. This causes more pain, swelling, and cellulitis
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.
What is worm in human body?
Intestinal worms, or parasitic worms, are
simple organisms that feed off the human body
. Many people recognize the more common varieties, such as tapeworms and hookworms, but may be less aware of the others.
How do you get rid of guinea worm?
What is the treatment for Guinea worm disease?
There is no drug to treat
Guinea worm disease and no vaccine to prevent infection. Once part of the worm begins to come out of the wound, the rest of the worm can only be pulled out a few centimeters each day by winding it around a piece of gauze or a small stick.
Who is mainly affected by guinea worm?
The Carter Center works to eradicate Guinea worm in five countries affected by the disease:
South Sudan, Mali, Chad, Ethiopia, and Angola
.
Where is Guinea worm most common?
When The Carter Center began to provide technical and financial assistance to national eradication programs in 1986, Guinea worm disease was found in 20 countries in
Africa
and Asia. Today the disease remains in six countries, all in Africa: Sudan, Ghana, Mali, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Niger.
What are the symptoms of worm?
- abdominal pain.
- diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
- gas/bloating.
- fatigue.
- unexplained weight loss.
- abdominal pain or tenderness.
What type of worm is the guinea worm?
Guinea worm is, in fact,
a real worm
. It is a large nematode, Dracunculus medinensis, which is ingested through drinking contaminated water. The condition is known as dracunculiasis or guinea-worm disease. The worm eventually causes a debilitating and painful infection that begins with a blister, normally on the leg.
What is the incubation period for Guinea worm disease?
As the incubation period of the worm takes
10–14 months
, a single missed case will delay eradication by a year or more.
Can humans get worms from guinea pigs?
As a result of research into the cause of Guinea worm infections in animals, it is now believed that GWD
might also be spread to both animals and humans
by eating certain aquatic animals that might carry Guinea worm larvae, like fish or frogs, but do not themselves suffer the effects of transmission.
