Dracunculosis

Dracunculosis, or filariasis, is an infectious disease caused by the parasitic worm Dracunculus medinensis. It is also known as "snake worms" in some countries.

Only humans and some species of monkeys suffer from dracunculosis. In the first group, the disease occurs in African and Asian countries, and in the second group, in South America.

Worm eggs are released from the body by Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. Infected mosquitoes attack a person and drop several eggs into the wound. Afterwards they turn into larvae. The larvae penetrate into the deep tissues of a person, resulting in purulent ulcers. The disease manifests itself as unbearable pain in the muscles, which provokes fever and vomiting. Wounds can leak pus for months or even years, causing tissue and bone damage.

Modern treatment methods can guarantee a complete recovery. However, such a prognosis is only possible if treated at an early stage, which may not be the case when infected in warm regions, where filariasis is most common. The mosquito bite causes redness around the wound, which later develops into a large ulcer with purulent fluid. Black filaria larvae filling the sore can be seen when examining the wound. When the infection spreads to the spine, problems with the nervous system, blurred vision, and dysfunction of internal organs appear. Gradually, the poison secreted by the larvae weakens the body, leading to its degeneration. Lifelong treatment will help avoid infection of the patient's family members. It differs in complexity and duration. Today, such treatment is provided by the scientific and practical center of the Pasteur Institute in Thailand. Its specialists are using a new method of delivering therapeutic drugs to affected tissues - through liposomes. Treatment can be carried out for a year or more depending on the severity of the disease.

To avoid contracting dracunculiasis, it is important to avoid skin contact with surfaces contaminated with feces from sick people and contact with mosquitoes. It is also necessary to maintain body hygiene to prevent the larvae from penetrating the skin. If a mosquito egg gets into the wound, you should immediately consult a doctor who will carry out procedures to remove the infection, if necessary. To diagnose dracunculiasis in an infected person, a tissue biopsy is performed at the site of infection.