Guinea Worm Disease
Guinea worm disease is a debilitating and painful infection caused by a large nematode (roundworm), Dracunculus medinensis. It begins with a blister, usually on the leg. Around the time of its eruption, the person may experience itching, fever, swelling and burning sensations. Infected persons try to relieve the pain by immersing the infected part in water, usually open water sources such as ponds and shallow wells. This stimulates the worm to emerge and release thousands of larvae into the water. The larva is ingested by a water flea (cyclops), where it develops and becomes infective in two weeks. When a person drinks the water, the cyclops is dissolved by the acidity of the stomach, and the larva is activated and penetrates the gut wall. It develops and migrates through the subcutaneous tissue. After about one year, a blister forms and the mature worm, 1m long, tries to emerge, thus repeating the life cycle.
Symptoms
Usually it is difficult to suspect Guinea worm disease in the initial months, thus the symptoms will also appear about one year after a person become infected. Just after a few hours or day before the worm comes out, the infected person might suffer from fever, swelling, and pain in the area. While in maximum cases, 90% of the worms come out of the legs and feet, hence pain is common in these body parts. Other symptoms can include:
- Itchy rash
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
Blisters can also occur anywhere on the skin and it gets bigger over several days, resulting into a burning pain. In addition, removing the worm is a daunting task. Besides being painful, it can also cause greater infection without proper care. Wound infections can be followed by some complications like:
- Generalized infection (sepsis)
- Joint infections (septic arthritis)
- Redness and swelling of the skin (cellulitis)
- Boils (abscesses)
- Lock jaw (tetanus)
Natural Treatments
So far, there is no drug treatment for the Guinea worm disease. Also, there is no vaccine to prevent the infection. Hence, once part of the worm starts emerging out of the wound, the solution is to pull out the rest of the worm each day, fetching a few centimeters winding it around a piece of gauze or you can use a clean stick. In several cases, the whole worm can be pulled out just in few days, but usually it could take up to weeks. The only reason you can use medicines is for reducing the pain and swelling. You can go for any, aspirin or ibuprofen. Also, antibiotic ointment can help prevent secondary bacterial infections.
Warnings
Guinea worm is a serious medical concern. If you believe you have contracted guinea worm, prompt medical treatment is vital to your wellbeing. If you notice any symptoms of guinea worm infection, seek medical help immediately.[8] Fever, swelling, and pain near the infected area are usually the first signs of an infection. You will not have symptoms for about a year after becoming infected. If you traveled to an area where guinea worm is a problem, do not assume symptoms you have months later are not related to guinea worm.
