dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease)

DRACUNCULIASIS (GUINEA WORM DISEASE)

Frank Mu

Dracunculiasis documented as far back as 1550 BC

Dracunculus medinensis causes GWD

• Among longest nematodes infecting humans

• Longest male: 1.6 in.

• Longest female: 31 in.

Life cycle revolves around water

Larvae develop for two weeks inside copepods

Ingestion of contaminated water leads to human D. medinensis transmission

D. Medinensis migrate to lower limbs and induce blisters

Diagnosis made by observing worm head protruding from blister

No vaccines or medicine can treat or prevent Guinea Worm Disease

Only way to remove D. medinensis is by extracting entire worm inch by inch

Community education and awareness is a critical step towards prevention

Prevention through filtering water sources

Eradication efforts have reduced cases by 99%!

The end of dracunculiasis as we know it?

… Not so fast

References• Belcher, D.W., F.K. Wurapa, W.B. Ward, and I.M. Lourie (1975), “Guinea Worm in Southern Ghana:

Its Epidemiology and Impact on Agricultural Productivity,” American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 24:243-249.

• CDC. Renewed transmission of dracunculiasis---Chad, 2010. MMWR 2011;60:744—8• Donald R. Hopkins, Ernesto Ruiz-Tiben, Philip Downs, P. Craig Withers, Jr., James H. Maguire

(2005). "Dracunculiasis Eradication: The Final Inch". American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 73 (4): 669–675.

• Greenway, C. Dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease) CMAJ February 17, 2004 170:495-500• Hopkins, Donald R.; Withers, P. Craig, Jr. (2002). "Sudan's war and eradication of dracunculiasis".

Lancet 360: s21–2• Keith Blayney (2002). "Caduceus vs Staff of Asclepius“• Ruiz-Tiben, Ernesto, and Hopkins, Donald R. “Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm Disease) Eradication.”

Advances in Parasitology 61 (2006): 275-309.• Tropical Medicine Central Resource. "Dracunculiasis". Uniformed Services University of the Health

Sciences. 2008• Wikipedia. Dracunculiasis• World Health Organization. Dracunculiasis eradication: global surveillance summary, 2010. Wkly

Epidemiol Rec 2011;86:189--98.