Guinea Worm DiseaseDracunculiasis

http://sph.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/PH/PH709_B_Competition/PH709_B_Competition7.html

Presence of Dracunculiasis in humans has been documented for centuries

http://thedailyomnivore.net/2010/07/17/rod-of-asclepius/

Carolus Linnaeus postulated that the “fiery serpents” were actually parasitic worms

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/images/linnaeus.jpg

The disease is caused by Dracunculus medinensis

which can grow to a meter long

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Dracunculus_medinensis_larvae.jpg/220px-Dracunculus_medinensis_larvae.jpg

The worms use two hosts

http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Dracunculiasis.htm

Symptoms include allergy-like reactions and the formation of a blister

http://www.stanford.edu/class/humbio103/ParaSites2001/dracunculiasis/DRACUNCULIASIS.html

Diagnosis is purely visual and definite only when the head emerges

http://www.who.int/dracunculiasis/home_example/en/index.html

Treatment consists of removal of the worm

http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/pediatrics_general/1331341-1331371-997617-1783248.jpg

Dracunculiasis does not kill directly but leaves patients vulnerable to infection for weeks resulting

in loss of productivity and sometimes death

Prevention is achieved through education and avoiding contaminated water

http://www.cartercenter.org/resources/images/minisite_gw/home_headerImg.jpg

The Carter Center is the primary organization behind the eradication of the disease

http://www.cartercenter.org/resources/images/header.jpg

CDC, UNICEF and WHO have also contributed to the 99.9% decrease in worldwide cases since 1986

In 1986, 21 countries saw cases of Guinea Worm Disease, now only 4 do

http://cartercenter.org/resources/gallery/images/g3.jpg

Only 4 countries continue to experience new cases

http://www.who.int/dracunculiasis/epidemiology/en/

Credits Dhawan, MD, Vinod K. “Dracunculiasis.” Medscape. WebMD, 12 July

2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://www.who.int/dracunculiasis/en/>. “Dracunculiasis.” BIO Ventures for Global Health. Web. 21 Nov. 2012.

<http://www.bvgh.org/Biopharmaceutical-Solutions/Global-Health-Primer/Diseases/cid/ViewDetails/ItemID/27.aspx#>.

“Dracunculiasis.” World Health Organization. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://www.who.int/dracunculiasis/en/>.

“Guinea Worm Disease.” Carter Center. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cartercenter.org/health/guinea_worm/mini_site/index.html>.

Heiser, Lauren, and Dr. D. Scott Smith. “Dracunculiasis.”Stanford. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://www.stanford.edu/class/humbio103/ParaSites2001/dracunculiasis/DRACUNCULIASIS.html>.