What Is Guinea Worm Disease?

Guinea worm (guinea worm) is also called medina worm or dragon worm. Asmatminthes Nematoda, scientific name is Dracunculus medinensis. A common human parasite in tropical Asia and Africa, also spread to tropical regions of the West Indies and South America. In addition to humans, other mammals can also be parasitic to Guinea worms. The disease caused by Guinea worm is called Guinea worm. ^[1]

Guinea worm

The female body is 50 to 120 cm (approximately 20 to 48 inches) long; the male body is not easily visible, and it is 12 to 29 mm (approximately 0.5 to 1.1 inches) long. ^[1]

Both sexes are parasitic in the connective tissue of various organs in the body. Females can live for 10 to 14 months, and males die after mating. The female drilled near the skin and formed a blister there. Numerous larvae were released with the liquid after the blister broke. If the larvae are released into the water and swallowed by Cyclops, they develop into larvae that can invade humans. The water containing the genus Cyclops, which is extremely hard to see with the naked eye, is drunk by people. Cyclops is killed by the gastric juice, and the larvae penetrate into the blood vessels from the intestinal wall and are brought into the connective tissue by the blood to develop into adults. Adults slowly emerge from the blister, especially in the legs or feet of the host. When the host enters a pond, stream, or other body of water, the released larvae swallow the scirpus and begin another life cycle. ^[1]

After suffering from Guinea worm nematode disease, a person can show extreme weakness. When a female worm slowly emerges from a ruptured blister, the pain is localized. Ruptured blister is often a place where other infections such as tetanus can invade. Guinea worms are usually not fatal, but they are extremely distressing. In 1986, 3.5 million people were infected in no less than 20 countries. Guinea worms are still present today, with more than 10,000 cases reported in at least five countries in 2007. ^[1]

No specific treatments are currently available. The only cure is to wrap the end of the worm out of the skin on a small stick and pull out a little worm at a time. Sometimes worms can be pulled out completely within a few days, but this process usually takes weeks or months. No drug can end or prevent infection. However, antihistamines and antibiotics can reduce swelling and make it easier for worms to clear ^[1] .