Wormy Wednesdays: Dracunculiasis

I thought we would end our journey of Wormy Wednesdays with one of the less common worms (in fact it isn't really that common at all it is just really neat). Sure there are many MANY more worms we could discuss but they are less likely to cause issues. This particular worm is interesting because it can affect both people and animals in the same way.

Source

Dracunculiasis is more common in Africa (source ). A more common name is the New Guinea worm. Typically it is obtained from contaminated water sources. The female will then live in the skin of the host (humane or animal). She forms a cyst that can be both painful and itchy to the host. These cysts can grow to be quite large.

Source

Treatment can be accomplished by surgically removing the cyst. If you just remove the worm, there are two concerns. One is that the animal (or human) could have a SEVERE allergic reaction to the worm dying. The second is if the worm is not entirely removed, which is difficult with out removing the entire cyst, it is VERY likely they will regrow.

Source

Although this does not pose a big threat to our animals, it has been seen in central Illinois, and was an interesting way to end our Wormy Wednesdays!