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The Carter Center, a leader in the global elimination and eradication of diseases, recently reported that guinea worm disease was close to eradication.
From 3.5 million cases a year in 21 countries in 1986.
The number had come down to 13 in five countries in 2023, a reduction of 99.99%.
This would be the second disease after smallpox to be eradicated and the first one with no known medicines or vaccines.
This has created increased attention to disease elimination, the first step in eradication.
Ending the epidemics of malaria, tuberculosis and Neglected Tropical Diseases by 2030 is one of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.
Guinea Worm Disease
Guinea worm disease, also known as dracunculiasis, is a parasitic disease caused by the worm Dracunculus medinensis.
It is transmitted by drinking contaminated water that contains water fleas infected with guinea worm larvae.
The disease is debilitating but rarely fatal.
The adult female worm, which can grow up to 3 feet long, emerges from the skin.
Usually on the leg or foot, causing a burning sensation and a painful blister.
The worm then slowly emerges over several weeks or months.
Great progress has been made towards eradication of Guinea worm disease.
The number of human cases annually has fallen from an estimated 3.5 million in the mid-1980s to just 15 cases reported worldwide in 2021.
The World Health Organization is working to eradicate the disease completely.
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