What disease does Dracunculus medinensis cause?

Guinea worm disease, a neglected tropical disease (NTD), is caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis. The disease affects poor communities in remote parts of Africa that do not have safe water to drink. There is neither a drug treatment for Guinea worm disease nor a vaccine to prevent it.

What are the symptoms of Dracunculus medinensis?

Symptoms

• Fever.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Shortness of breath.
• Burning, itching, pain, and swelling where the worm is in your body (often the legs and feet)
• Blister where the worm breaks through the skin1

How do you treat Dracunculus?

Analgesics, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, are given to help ease the pain of this process and reduce inflammation. No specific drug is used to treat dracunculiasis. Metronidazole or thiabendazole (in adults) is usually adjunctive to stick therapy and somewhat facilitates the extraction process.

How does a person become infected with Dracunculus medinensis?

Humans become infected by drinking unfiltered water containing copepods (small crustaceans) which are infected with larvae of D. medinensis . Following ingestion, the copepods die and release the larvae, which penetrate the host stomach and intestinal wall and enter the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space .

How does Guinea worm affect the body?

When the adult female worm is ready to come out, it creates a blister on the skin anywhere on the body, but usually on the legs and feet. This blister causes a very painful burning feeling and it bursts within 24-72 hours. Immersing the affected body part into water helps relieve the pain.

How is Dracunculus diagnosed?

Dracunculiasis is infection with Dracunculus medinensis. Symptoms are a painful, inflamed skin lesion, which contains an adult worm, and debilitating arthritis. Diagnosis is by inspection. Treatment is slow removal of the adult worm.

What home remedy kills parasites?

Eat more raw garlic, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, beets, and carrots, all of which have been used traditionally to kill parasites. In one study, researchers found that a mixture of honey and papaya seeds cleared stools of parasites in 23 out of 30 subjects. Drink a lot of water to help flush out your system.

What happens if we drink water with worms?

No need to worry, all the red worms will be killed & digested with the acid present in your stomach.

What part of the human body can Dracunculus Medinensis be found?

Humans are infected when they drink water with crustaceans which are infected with larva of D. medinensis. The larvae are released in the small intestine and penetrate the wall of the intestine to enter the abdominal cavity.

What is the prescribed drug for the treatment of guinea worm disease?

There is no drug to treat Guinea worm disease and no vaccine to prevent infection. Once part of the worm begins to come out of the wound, the rest of the worm can only be pulled out a few centimeters each day by winding it around a piece of gauze or a small stick.

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