DRACUNCULUS MEDINENSIS - silent killer which remains in body silent upto 1 year !!!!!!

Facts :
          - Also known as guinea worm disease (GWD)
          - These are among the longest nematodes infecting humans.
          - Dracunculus medinensis is one of four filarial nematodes that cause subcutaneous filariasis in humans. The other three filarial nematodes are Loa loa (the African eye worm), Mansonella streptocerca, and Onchocerca volvulus (river blindness)
          - The longest adult female recorded was 800 millimetres (31 in), while the adult male was only 40 mm (1.6 in)
          - Guinea worm has been found in calcified Egyptian mummies
          - An Old Testament description of "fiery serpents" may have been referring to Guinea Worm: "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died."

          - Humans become infected by drinking unfiltered water containing copepods

The disease caused is  Dracunculiasis
 Symptoms include :
           - Pruritus
           - Nausea
           - Vomiting
           - Diarrhea or
           - Asthmatic attacks

 Treatment :
           - There is NO vaccine or medicine to treat or prevent Guinea worm disease
           - Once a Guinea worm begins emerging, the first step is to do a controlled submersion of the affected area in a bucket of water. This causes the worm to discharge many of its larva, making it less infectious
           - To extract the worm, a person must wrap the live worm around a piece of gauze or a stick. The process can be long, taking anywhere from hours to months.
           - Gently massaging the area around the blister can help loosen the worm up a bit.
           - Use of metronidazole or thiabendazole may make extraction easier, but also may lead to migration to other parts of the body