Guinea-worm disease on verge of eradication: WHO

GENEVA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Surveillance and case containment activities have been stepped up as the guinea-worm disease is on the verge of eradication, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.

Only 396 cases were reported in the first six months of this year, a dramatic fall from the 807 cases of the same period of last year, and an decrease by 99 percent from the 3.5 million cases reported in 1986. Among them, 391 cases, or 99 percent were in South Sudan, according to WHO.

Gautam Biswas, officer of WHO's Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, said he was pleased by the decrease. As there is no vaccine to prevent infection from the disease nor is there any medication to treat the disease, close surveillance and transmission interruption measures should be taken for prevention.

South Sudan, which was expected to be the last country to eradicate guinea worms, has committed to interrupting transmission by 2013.

The crippling parasitic disease, also know as dracunculiasis, is caused by Dracunculus medinensis, a long thread-like worm. The water-borne disease is transmitted exclusively when people drink water contaminated with parasite-infected water fleas and is now found in the most deprived regions of Africa.

The guinea-worm disease is expected to be the second disease after smallpox to be eradicated.