We may be close to wiping out one of the world's most horrifying parasites

We may be close to wiping out one of the world's most horrifying parasites

The parasite is most well-known for its viscerally unpleasant removal technique. It can grow to one meter in length, and tugging on one fragile end near the skin will cause the head to break off and leave the dead worm in the body. At that point, it'll rot, killing the human patient horribly. To remove the worm, humans have to tug on the head and wind it around a stick, a little at a time. Over the following weeks, the worm has to be tugged out by only a couple of centimeters per day, until the full meter is out.

Guinea worms are parasitic worms. They get into the human system when someone drinks stagnant water that hasn't been treated, and has been infested with their larvae. They live in the human system pretty quietly for about a year, and then they make a break for freedom. They come to the surface of a person's skin. This irritates the leg and forms a blister. That blister can be anything from the size of a dime to a crater in a person's flesh. The person will feel a burning sensation, and will probably dip their leg in water. At that point the blister bursts, the worm comes to the surface, and secretes more larvae into the water supply.

In 1986, there were about 3.5 million cases of guinea worm disease across twenty-one countries. In 2011, there were just over a thousand cases, in four countries. And it looks like the entire species could be eradicated in the next few years.