Guinea Worm
Where is it found?
The Guinea Worm is found in tropical regions of Asia and Africa and in the West Indies and tropical South America.
What is it hungry for?
It is going to eat anything that gets in its way while in your boady
How do they reproduce?
Once the worm is drunk the larvae are released from copepods in the stomach and penetrate the digestive track, passing into the body cavity. When the adult female worm is ready to come out, it creates a blister on the skin anywhere on the body. Immersing the affected body part into water helps relieve the pain. It also causes the Guinea worm to come out of the wound and release a milky white liquid into the water that contains millions of immature larvae. This contaminates the water supply and starts the cycle over again.
What hosts do they like?
The Guinea Worm usually chooses humans but they are also found in dogs, cats, horses, and cattle.
Special adaptations to their host?
The Guinea Worm will become longer inside the host and they will become wider inside the host.
Size?
The male is typically smaller then the female ranging around 12-29 mm. The female is sizing around 2-3 feet.
Fun Facts!
In 1986, the disease afflicted an estimated 3.5 million people.
The disease is also known as Dracunculiasis.
90% come out of the legs and feet.
Eradicating Guinea worm in Sudan
Citations
Larry , Clark. "Dracunculiasis." Wiki. wiki inc, 10 10 2010. Web. 22 Mar 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracunculiasis>.
CNN, . "Eradicating Guinea worm in Sudan." Youtube. youtube inc, 4 6 2010. Web. 22 Mar 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dDjmkWojE8>.