“Affliction with Little Dragons”- Human Parasite on the Verge of Complete Eradication!

The name of this nasty parasite is Guinea worm. This parasite has plagued humans since the days of the ancient Egyptians. Nowadays, Guinea worm is found across Africa from Mali to Ethiopia with most number of cases emerging in Sudan. These parasites have been found in Egyptian mummies, and the official name for the infection, ‘Dracuncculiasis’ that references an archaic-sounding pain: It’s Latin for “affliction with little dragons.”

Guinea worms enter the body in the form of larvae and these larvae are transmitted in to the human body by drinking infected water. Once inside the body, the larvae grow to maturity stage and mate within the human cavity. The female then burrows outwards towards the skin and emerges into a painful blister.

According to New York Times Blog, “Guinea worm is one of the worst parasites you can get, The worms burrow inside of you, grow to almost three feet long, are incredibly painful, and finally pop out of the skin and have to be reeled out, inch by inch, over many days.” People infected with guinea worm would traditionally run to water to cool the painful burning that usually ended up in giving worms an ample opportunity to release a new generation of larvae in water.

Doctors have no medicines or vaccines with which to combat parasites instead they rely on prevention to keep people from getting infected. The interesting point is that humans are the only hosts for this parasite, so ending this outbreak in humans will destroy the worm forever. Former president, Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter declared on Friday that with intensive efforts of The Carter Foundation, the guinea worm disease will soon be second to have been completely wiped out by human efforts, smallpox being first.

According to Jimmy Carter, there have been fewer than 5,000 cases of the disease in six African countries this year. Only 4,410 cases were reported worldwide during the first ten months of this year with 80% found in Sudan. The Carter Centre official Craig Withers says that when the eradication campaign began in 1986 there were 3.5 million cases in 20 nations. He said, “It is a question of education…Our staff has to wade through swamps, sometimes up to their necks to reach to remote villages in Southern Sudan.”

Carter also announced two new grants dedicated to wiping out the final hotspots. The British government has pledged $15 million, while the Bill and Melinda GatesMelinda Gates Foundation will contribute $40 million. The key lies in educating people about filtering water before drinking, drilling wells for clean water and treating infected water with chemicals that would eliminate contagion.

What we can do on our part is help the Carter Foundation achieve complete eradication of guinea worm disease by educating as many people as possible. Let us all join hands to bring an end to this human parasite once and for all!