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DRACUNCULIASIS (GUINEA WORM DISEASE) Frank Mu Slide 2 Dracunculiasis documented as far back as 1550 BC Slide 3 Dracunculus medinensis causes GWD Among longest nematodes infecting humans Longest male: 1.6 in. Longest female: 31 in. Slide 4 Life cycle revolves around water Slide 5 Larvae develop for two weeks inside copepods Slide 6 Ingestion of contaminated water leads to human D. medinensis transmission Slide 7 D. Medinensis migrate to lower limbs and induce blisters Slide 8 Diagnosis made by observing worm head protruding from blister Slide 9 No vaccines or medicine can treat or prevent Guinea Worm Disease Slide 10 Only way to remove D. medinensis is by extracting entire worm inch by inch Slide 11 Slide 12 Slide 13 Community education and awareness is a critical step towards prevention Slide 14 Prevention through filtering water sources Slide 15 Eradication efforts have reduced cases by 99%! Slide 16 The end of dracunculiasis as we know it? Slide 17 Not so fast Slide 18 Slide 19 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;60:7448 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): 669675. 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: s212 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.