Dracunculiasis: Guinea Worm

Dracunculiasis “Guinea Worm” In Africa it is very difficult to find clean and sanitary essential resources when most resources are already contaminated. One of the most basic necessities a person needs to live is water, which can often be contaminated by the larvae of the parasite Dracunculiasis, also known as Guinea worm. Although African citizens may be aware of the poor prognosis when infected with Dracunculiasis, they are typically unaware of the parasites’ strength. I intend to analyze the location and conditions in which the parasite is most likely to infect a host and how it affects the body. I will also discuss what types of treatments are available to people carrying the Guinea worm and the typical outcome of these treatments.
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Here the larvae mature for a couple of days. Dracunculiasis or the Guinea Worm is then swallowed by people who drink out of the standing water. When drinking these people are consuming these microscopic fleas that carry the Guinea worm. When in the stomach of the host the stomach acid breaks down the flea leaving the Guinea larvae alone. The larvae then travel to the small intestine and merges into the body cavity. Here is where the male and female mate leading to the death of the male worm. When the female makes it to the body cavity it will start to grow for the next 10-14 months. While buried into the cavity the worm takes tons of the bodies nutrients and vitamins to help itself grow. The Guinea worm when fully grown can grow up to 2-3 feet in length and as thick as two millimeters wide and looks like a cooked spaghetti noodle. The worm will still show now signs or symptoms to the host. After about a year of growing the worm moves to the subcutaneous part of the skin. When the worm is ready to emerge you can find it on any part of the body. It is usually on the lower part of your body mostly in the foot. You will notice the worm creates a painful heat feeling blister on that part. Within 72 hours of having this very painful blister it will burst. Being in a lot of pain many people put their infected body part into water which relieves the pain. This just doesn’t relieve pain it also peaks out of the blister sending out millions of tiny larvae into the water which starts the life cycle all over again. The only way to bring out the worm is to pull it out. Using a stick doctors pull it out little by little winding it around the stick. This can only be done inch by inch every day. Sometimes taking weeks or up to 2-3 months to fully get Dracunculiasis out of the body. Causing the infected person horrible amounts of pain. This makes people become cripple and unable to walk or