Guinea Worm Disease (Dracunculiasis)

Guinea Worm Disease, or Dracunculiasis, is a parasitic infection caused by the Guinea worm. People become infected when they drink contaminated water containing tiny water fleas that carry the worm larvae. Inside the human body, the larvae develop into adult worms, which can grow up to a meter long. about a year later, the female worm emerges slowly through the skin, causing painful blisters. There is no effective medication; treatment involves carefully extracting the worm over days. The disease can be eliminated through access to clean drinking water, health education, and vector control, making it one of the few communicable diseases close to eradication.