ALEXANDRA D’ENTREMONTCURRENT EVENTS IN GENETICS

Guinea worm “almost eradicated”

The Guinea Worm

Second time in history that a disease has been nearly wiped out

Guinea disease has been found in Africa from Mali to Ethiopia with the current cases in Sudan

4,410 cases have been reported in the first ten months of this year, with 80% belonging to Sudan

How you get it

Treatment & Care

There is not cure the treatment is to remove the worm over many weeks by winding it around a small stick pulling the worm out a little at a time

On some cases the worm is able to be pulled out in a few days, but usually takes a few weeks or months

No medication is available, the worm can be surgically removed if the wound begins to swell

Sites

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7768871.stm http://www.dhpe.org/infect/guinea.html http://www.neatorama.com/images/2006-08/guinea-worm.jpg http://www.stir.org.au/stir/Assets/ContentImages/guinea-

worm.jpg http://photos.state.gov/libraries/usinfo-photo/39/

week5/103106-worms-200.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/

178/437510854_1d5bde1e50_m.jpg