DRACUNCULIASIS

Course overview

DRACUNCULIASIS, ALSO KNOWN AS GUINEA-WORM DISEASE IS A PARASITIC DISEASE CAUSED BY THE NEMATODE DRACUNCULUS MEDINENSIS. THE INFECTION IS TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS BY DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATED WITH THE SMALL CRUSTACEAN COPEPODS (CYCLOPS) WHICH CONTAIN THE LARVAE OF D. MEDINENSIS. HUMANS ARE THE PRINCIPAL DEFINITIVE HOST AND CYCLOPS BEING THE INTERMEDIATE HOST. THE DISEASE IS ENDEMIC TO THE RURAL AND POORER AREAS OF THE WORLD AND IS MOST COMMON IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES LIKE CHAD, SOUTH SUDAN, ETHIOPIA, AND MALI. EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TOWARDS GLOBAL ERADICATION OF THIS DISEASE. DUE TO ITS RARITY IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM ROLE IN THE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.