A tropical disease caused by the guinea worm Dracunculus medinensis which enters the body from infected drinking water and forms blisters on the skin, frequently leading to secondary arthritis, fibrosis and cellulitis.
A tropical disease caused by the parasitic nematode Dracunculus medinensis in the tissues beneath the skin. The disease is transmitted to man via contaminated drinking water. The initial symptoms, which appear a year after infection, result from the migration of the worm to the skin surface and include itching, giddiness, difficulty in breathing, vomiting, and diarrhea. Later a large blister forms on the skin, usually on the legs or arms, which eventually bursts and may ulcerate and become infected. Dracontiasis is common in India and West Africa but also occurs in Arabia, Iran, East Africa, and Afghanistan. Treatment involves removing the adult worms with niridazole or thiabendazole.
Dracontiasis, or dracunculiasis, is a nematode infection caused by Dracunculus medinensis (guinea-worm). The major clinical problem is secondary infection of the worm track, causing cellulitis, synovitis, epididymo-orchitis, periarticular fibrosis, and arthritis; tetanus is a potentially lethal complication. Chemotherapy is unsatisfactory, and the time-honoured method of extracting the female adult by winding it around a matchstick remains in use. Surgical treatment may be necessary. Ultimate prevention consists of removing Cyclops spp from drinking water.