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Anyone who
drinks standing pond water contaminated by persons with
Guinea worm disease is at risk for infection.
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Guinea worm
disease is a parasitic worm infection that occurs mainly in
Africa. People are infected when they drink standing water
that contains a tiny water flea that is infected with the
even smaller larvae of the Guinea worm. Once inside the
human body, the larvae mature, growing as long as 3 feet.
After about a year, the worm emerges through a painful
blister in the skin, causing long-term suffering and
sometimes crippling after-effects.
The U.S. doctors who were
recently at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic did not see any active
cases of Guinea Worm as the season was not right. However,
they did see people who had have been infected in the past.
Guinea worm is particularly a problem in one of the feeder
villages a couple hours hike away from the clinic.
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