Dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease)

Abstract

Dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease) is a parasitic disease that is limited to remote, rural villages in 13 sub-Saharan African countries that do not have access to safe drinking water. It is one the next diseases targeted for eradication by the World Health Organization. Guinea worm disease is transmitted by drinking water containing copepods (water fleas) that are infected with Dracunculiasis medinensis larvae. One year after human ingestion of infected water a female adult worm emerges, typically from a lower extremity, producing painful ulcers that can impair mobility for up to several weeks. This disease occurs annually when agricultural activities are at their peak. Large proportions of economically productive individuals of a village are usually affected simultaneously, resulting in decreased agricultural productivity and economic hardship. Eradication of guinea worm disease depends on prevention, as there is no effective treatment or vaccine. Since 1986, there has been a 98% reduction in guinea worm disease worldwide, achieved primarily through community-based programs. These programs have educated local populations on how to filter drinking water to remove the parasite and how to prevent those with ulcers from infecting drinking-water sources. Complete eradication will require sustained high-level political, financial and community support.

Fig. 1: Life cycle of the guinea worm. Photo: Chesley Sheppard

Fig. 3: Guinea worm emerging from foot ulcer. Photo: The Carter Center / S. Fitzgerald

Fig. 2: Foot blister induced by the female guinea worm in a person with dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease). Photo: The Carter Center / S. Fitzgerald

Fig. 4: Map of current and former dracunculiasis-endemic countries, 2002. Photo: WHO Collaborating Center for Research, Training and Eradication of Dracunculiasis

Fig. 6: A young man with guinea worm disease receives education on the life cycle of the guinea worm and how to prevent contamination of drinking-water sources. Photo: The Carter Center / Emily Howard

Fig. 5: A Togolese woman strains her family's drinking water through a cloth filter to prevent them from contracting guinea worm disease. Photo: The Carter Center / Emily Howard