Former President Jimmy USA's Carter dies at age 100, although there are many aspects of Carter's life that deserve attention. But few aspects are as memorable as this. and his efforts to help eradicate one of the world's most fearsome parasites, the Guinea worm (Draculas medinensis–
Carter deed at his home in Plains Georgia State on Sunday It was nearly two years after he first started hospice care. Although he often acted alone, Very criticalWho served as the 39th President of the United States. His success extends beyond the past four years. Among those key successes are the Carter Center's. Guinea worm eradication programwho is now just inches away from total victory.
Guinea worms are notoriously long-standing parasites. refer In the Old Testament, freshwater nematodes It generally infects people through consuming drinking water that contains copepods. which is a small crustacean animal which itself is infected by worm larvae
The larvae reach our intestines. where they will mature and breed The male then dies and the pregnant female, which can be up to 100 centimeters long, migrates to a spot under our skin. which are usually along our legs About a year after infection Females will cause blisters. When the blister bursts, the worm slowly emerges from our skin. Provoking a painful burning sensation. This drives infected people to cool their wounds in the nearest body of water. The female then releases thousands of larvae into the water. and start the whole process again.
This infection is not the only adverse symptom. But it also makes the body weaker. The parasite can take days or weeks to be safely and painfully extracted. During this time people cannot work or go to school. and if the worm breaks off during removal It can cause secondary infection which eventually leads to permanent disability.
Although freshwater sanitation made Guinea worm disease less of a global problem in the late 20th century, an estimated 3.5 million people still contract the disease every year across Africa and Asia. In the 1980s– In 1986, Carter's non-profit organization which is the Carter Center A public health campaign has been launched to eradicate Guinea worms and bones. A clear success– last year There have been only 14 reported cases of Guinea worm in humans; As of November, there is Only 7 cases In 2024
Of course, Carter and his organization don't deserve all the credit. World Health Organization and other large groups also plays an important role Meanwhile, community leaders and residents in outbreak areas have been the driving force behind local eradication efforts. This is because there is no vaccine or medicine for Guinea worm. Parasite eradication campaigns therefore rely heavily on physical intervention. durable tube which filters infected copepods out of drinking water Including meticulous surveillance of potential patients.
Not everything went smoothly for this campaign. Guinea worms are a suitable candidate for eradication. This is because most worms depend on a human host to complete their life cycle. For a long time, we thought that only humans could act as the final link in the chain. But a decade ago it appeared that the species could grow in other animals as well. especially dogs– Therefore, although the number of annual cases has remained low in recent years, But there are many patients. thousands of annual animal infections reported over the past decade.
This latest development has disrupted the Guinea worm eradication timeline. Until infections in both humans and animals reach zero and remain at zero for many years. The parasite will continue to exist. But public health officials and communities in outbreak areas are adapting. The latest annual number of reported animal cases fell from 886 in 2023 to 448 this year, indicating that local efforts are mitigating the spread of the parasite among hosts.
Jimmy Carter said in 2015 that he hoped to see this happen. Guinea worms are eradicated. before he died Sadly, that didn't happen. But Carter certainly left behind a great public health legacy. which will continue long after his passing.