Seim A R
Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 1991 Jun 10;111(15):1857-60.
Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) is an easily preventable parasitic illness where one or more worms (Dracunculus medinensis) emerge through the skin about a year after drinking infected water. It is highly debilitating and compromises health, food production and schooling in 19 African nations, and in India. In affected areas it causes more permanent disability than poliomyelitis, and the annual economic cost is estimated to one billion USD. About 120 million poor are at risk. Interventions include providing safe water, teaching people at risk to filter all their drinking water, and chemical treatment of the water. The article discusses the life cycle of the parasite, its socioeconomic consequences, interventions against it and progress toward eradicating guinea worm disease.
麦地那龙线虫病是一种易于预防的寄生虫病，饮用受感染的水大约一年后，一条或多条线虫（麦地那龙线虫）会穿过皮肤钻出。它极具致残性，会损害19个非洲国家以及印度的健康、粮食生产和教育。在受影响地区，它造成的永久性残疾比小儿麻痹症更多，每年的经济成本估计达10亿美元。约1.2亿贫困人口面临风险。干预措施包括提供安全饮用水、教导高危人群过滤所有饮用水，以及对水进行化学处理。本文讨论了该寄生虫的生命周期、其社会经济后果、针对它的干预措施以及根除麦地那龙线虫病所取得的进展。
