Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter praised the group for achieving a 95 percent reduction in cases but warned against complacency. Then we can move on to other diseases. People become infected by drinking stagnant water contaminated with fleas carrying Guinea worm larvae. Inside the human body, the larvae grow to as long as 3 feet. After one year, the threadlike worm emerges slowly through a blister on the skin.
Many victims immerse the area in water to soothe the burning pain.
When the female worm touches water, she releases tens of thousands of larvae, beginning the cycle again. Although the disease cannot be cured, it can be stopped. Villagers must filter their water. They also can use the nontoxic chemical Abate to kill larvae or drill borehole wells for fresh drinking water. Today, about 150,000 cases remain compared to more than 3.2 million in 1986.