by Kezhan E. Khazaw
Hello there, my name is Dracunculus medinensis but most people
know me as the Guinea worm. I am a parasite that likes to live off of an
organism (in this case it is these strange creatures called humans). My job is
to feed, grow, reproduce, and find a host to use as my own personal house. It
is a wonderful place to live because I have lots of room to roam around and oh
yes there is also plenty of food for me not to go hungry. I usually live in the
subcutaneous tissues and I cause ulcerated blisters in the tissue around the
vulva. It is a nifty place and I like it very much. However, the person that I
am in does not seem to like me very much. I do not know why. I mean I just form
this blister so that way I can get my babies, larvae children, out into the
fresh water. Now these humans are stubborn and will not let us out easily so I
secrete my wrath toxins so they feel this burning sensation. My children
absolutely love the water! While they are in the water, my babies get eaten by
copepods which are these small crustaceans that live in the fresh water also. This
where these strange creatures come and drink the water. As a result some of the
copepods are ingested and my three week baby larvae come out and penetrate
through their small intestines. Humans are wonderful creatures because their
body allows for my children to reproduce and become parents themselves. Who
does not love grandchildren? I know I do, I love seeing my own daughter becoming
a mother and continuing our generation into the future. You see I usually
travel down to the lower extremities (you know their legs and feet) so that way
I can have better access to the water. Most often I do not like to show or
indicate my presence until at least a year later after I am really and healthy.
That way I am ready to release my children into the water to continue the life
cycle process once again. It is crazy, for some reason when I do make my
appearance the human’s body starts to go through some changes. I have heard
rumors that I, the Guinea worm, cause a slight fever, itchy rash, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness. After all those symptoms I form a blister,
so that I can escape and let children breath. When I stick my head out, these humans want to
get rid of me. Can you believe such a thing? These humans are kicking me out of
my own home, for what reason- I do not know. There is no specific drug to kill
me. No, they want to take me through this long journey of tying me to a stick
and each day they slowly expose me until I am out in a few weeks. Oh the
process is so tedious; I mean I get so bored just dangling there, while
starving to death. Humans are very inconsiderate of my feelings. They are so
mean!
Humans are trying to eradicate my family and me.
They are filtering their water so that way they do not drink the copepods; they
kill my babies by using larvicide, and for some reason these humans tell their
human friends that I am dangerous and they should stay away from me and my children.
It is just awful, and I hate it! The main organization behind all of this
eradicating business is the Carter Center; created by Jimmy Carter and his wife
Rosaland Carter. The eradication program is successful, reducing the number of
my guinea worm friends from 3.5 million cases in 21 countries in Africa and
Asia to only 1058 cases in four African countries in 2011. I still have friends
living in South Sudan, Mali, and Ethiopia. Recently, there was an isolated
outbreak in Chad. Well, my fellow reader I must leave you now. My children are
anxious for the water, I must go and get prepared because I believe this human
I am occupying is about put his foot in the water. Until next time drink some
contaminated fresh water and help my family live and prosper for generations to
come.
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