In history, only smallpox was successfully eliminated from humans in 1980 through a global vaccination program. It is caused by the variola virus, with the development of a vaccine by Edward Jenner in 1796 being the first step in eliminating the disease that killed a third of those infected. Now, the disease caused by Guinea worms is predicted to be the second to be successfully eliminated from humans.
By 2025, only 10 cases of Guinea worm have been detected in humans, with four cases in Chad, four in Ethiopia and two in South Sudan. This is a major success of the eradication program that began in 1986, when there were an estimated 3.5 million cases in Africa and Asia. According to the WHO, only six countries in the world have yet to be declared free of Guinea worm.
Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) is a parasite that is spread through contaminated water that is not boiled or filtered before drinking. The larvae that enter the human body will grow in the intestinal tract before moving to other parts of the body. When the adult worm is ready to emerge, a bulge appears on the skin and causes extreme pain. Treatment is to gently pull it out using a stick.
