“May all be happy, may all be healed, may all be at peace and may no one ever suffer."
Dracunculiasis, also known as Guinea worm disease, is a parasitic infection caused by the nematode Dracunculus medinensis. The disease is spread through ingestion of water contaminated with tiny crustaceans (copepods) that are infected with Guinea worm larvae.
The larvae mature and mate in the human body, and the female worm can grow up to 1 meter long. The mature female worm then emerges from the skin, usually in the lower limbs, causing a painful blister and intense burning sensation. The infected person may try to alleviate the pain by soaking the affected area in water, which causes the female worm to release thousands of larvae into the water, continuing the cycle of transmission.
Prevention and control of dracunculiasis involves several strategies, including provision of safe drinking water, filtration of drinking water, education about the importance of boiling and filtering water, and health education about the transmission and prevention of the disease. Treatment of dracunculiasis involves gradual extraction of the worm, usually over several days, by winding it around a stick, which can be a painful and potentially dangerous process. There is no specific drug treatment for dracunculiasis. However, pain management, wound care, and prevention of secondary bacterial infections are important aspects of patient care. The World Health Organization (WHO) is leading the global campaign to eradicate dracunculiasis, and significant progress has been made in reducing the number of cases worldwide.