Tag: Guinea worm
Reader with Worms Emerging from Skin Needs Immediate Medical Attention
A reader wrote to us in an understandable frenzy because she has white worms (or worm-like things) coming out of her skin. She included the following picture:
African Worms in Humans
Some time ago, a reader wrote to us about worms in humans in Africa. The worms were “embedding in humans” and then they would work their way out through the afflicted person’s legs – a painful experience, not surprisingly. The reader said he came across this rather horrifying human worm parasite in an article published in Smithsonian Magazine in 2011, and it seemed as though he wanted us to find out the issue of the magazine in which this article was printed. Despite a few searches, we didn’t find any specific article (at least not in 2011), but we suspect the article might have been about guinea worm disease (GMD), or dracunculiasis. Guinea worm disease is in fact caused by a worm – the Dracunculus parasite, which goes by the scientific name Dracunculus medinensis – and it does afflict humans (along with a few other animals). What are guinea worms and guinea worm disease?
What are Guinea Worms?
Guinea worm is also called dracunculiasis (pronounced: dra-KUNK-you-LIE-uh-sis). It is a parasitic worm infection that occurs mainly in Africa. In fact, more than half of all Guinea worm cases are reported from the southern Sudan region. Each year, 1,000 cases of Guinea worm disease are also reported in countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, and Uganda. Countries where less than 1,000 cases of the disease are reported include: Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Mauritania, and Senegal.
Tropical Parasites Worms
In fact, parasitic worms currently infect more than 250 million people worldwide and some are more serious than others. Some of the most serious parasitic worms are tropical parasites/worms.
Guinea Worm or Gag?
While it is true that human parasites do exist, chances are, a six-twelve inch worm will not come wriggling out of anyone’s head or nose, especially if they live in a developed country.
Guinea Worm
Also called dracunculiasis, Guinea worm is a parasitic worm infection that occurs mainly in Africa. In fact, more than half of all cases of Guinea worm disease are reported from the southern Sudan region. Each year, 1,000 cases of Guinea worm disease are also reported in countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, and Uganda. Countries where less than 1,000 cases of the disease are reported include: Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Mauritania, and Senegal.
The Guinea Worm and Guinea Worm Disease
The Guinea worm is often referred to as the “fiery serpent”, likely due to the painful symptoms of Guinea worm disease. The life and survival of the Guinea worm is unique in many ways, often requiring a year for full development of the parasite, during which entire time the Guinea worm is painfully impacting a human host with that Guinea worm disease.
