Introduction

Girls in Sudan obtaining safe drinking water from filtered wells

(1)

Dracunculiasis is an infectious disease caused by a parasitic tissue-nematode transmitted by copepods of the genus Cyclops. Commonly referred to as Guinea worm, its Latin name "dracunculiasis" means "affliction with little dragons", due to the searing fiery pain caused by the emergence of the worm(2). Humans become infected after ingesting water containing the Cyclops vector. Once inside the body, stomach acid dissolves the copepod, but the Dracunculus medinensis larvae survive and migrate into tissue layers. Over the course of a year, female worms gradually work their way to the skin surface, where they form a painful blister that eventually ruptures and releases thousands of larvae upon contact with water. However, because there is a clear vector and means of transmission, Dracunculiasis is considered a feasibly eradicable disease. Programs begun by the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and the Carter Center (among many) have dramatically reduced the prevalence of Dracunculiasis to only a few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research is continuously being performed to find a new and better means of diagnosis and treatment.

 

 

Parasite: Dracunculus medinensis

Agent: Nematode - order of Spirurida. The Spirurida are tissue parasites, which require arthropods as intermediate hosts. Female Dracunculus medinensis worms can be longer than average (up to 1m) and have a diameter of 2mm.

CLASS: Secernentea
SUBCLASS: Spiruria
ORDER: Spirurida
SUPERFAMILY: Dracuculoidea
FAMILY: Dracunculidae

(3)

Synonyms: Guinea Worm, Fiery Serpent, Medina Worm (4)

Vector: Cyclops. Frequently water fleas and other small copepods. (5)

Transmission: Ingestion of water containing copepods with Dracunculus medinensis infective larvae. (6)

Reservoir: None, though this is not conclusively proven – possibly dogs and carnivores in North America. Please see Reservior page for more information. (7)

Incubation Period: An average of one year after initial infection (8)