380 likes | 1.88k Views
Charissa Kam Biol 402. Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm Disease). A Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD). But it’s completely preventable!. Guinea Worm Disease (GWD) is an ancient disease. Possibly the fiery serpent referenced in the Old Testament “Affliction of little dragons”.
E N D
Charissa Kam Biol 402 Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm Disease)
A Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) But it’s completely preventable!
Guinea Worm Disease (GWD) is an ancient disease. • Possibly the fiery serpent referenced in the Old Testament • “Affliction of little dragons”
GWD is caused by Dracunculusmedinensis—a nematode http://www.gefor.4t.com/concurso/parasitologia/dracunculus.gif CDC
Dracunculusmedinensishas only 1 intermediate host, the copepod Cyclops. CDC
The emergence of the worm is excruciating. • Blister and/or ulcer • Pain and Swelling • Burning Sensations • Emergence of Worm http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/SWILLIAM/fgn/pnb/dracmed.html http://www.pasozyty.com.pl/Nitkowiec-podskorny-Filaria-medinensis.html
Only treatment is wrapping the worm around a stick. http://www.snl.no/dracunculiasis http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862009000900005&lng=pt&nrm=iso
Prevention is the key! • How? - Drink Clean Water - Don’t Contaminate Water - Filters - Education - Insecticides (ex: Abate®) Carter Center Carter Center
GWD hampers the development of communities. • GWD accounts for 60% of school absences • “Disease of the Empty Granary”
"Hopefully Guinea worm will be the first parasitic disease ever eradicated. If and when that happens, we will have done it without a drug and without a vaccineto treat or prevent the disease. If we can do that, it will be one of the greatest achievements in public health."—Dr. Ernesto Ruiz-Tiben, director, Guinea Worm Eradication Program
Eradication efforts have been quite successful! WHO WHO WHO
Hopefully this disease will be the 2nd disease to be completely eradicated
References The World Health Organization http://www.who.int/dracunculiasis/en/ http://www.who.int/topics/dracunculiasis/en/ http://www.who.int/dracunculiasis/background/en/index.html http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2008/WHO_HTM_NTD_PCT_2008.1_eng.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/dracunculiasis/factsht_dracunculiasis.htm http://globalhealthedu.org/modules/Documents/109/player.html Carter Center http://www.cartercenter.org/health/guinea_worm/index.html “The Imaging of Tropical Diseases. ”http://www.isradiology.org/tropical_deseases/tmcr/chapter27/epidemiology.htm http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/06/guinea.worm.eradication/index.html?hpt=Sbin American Society for Microbiology http://cmr.asm.org/cgi/content/full/15/2/223#Treatment