Accession Number:

AD0753295

Title:

Report of an Outbreak of Dracunculiasis in Ethiopia

Descriptive Note:

Final rept.

Corporate Author:

NAVAL MEDICAL RESEARCH UNIT NO 3 APO NEW YORK 09319 FIELD FACILITY

Personal Author(s):

• Ten Eyck, David R.

Report Date:

1971-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

7.0

Abstract:

An outbreak of dracunculiasis occurred in north-west Eritrea in mid 1969, resulting in 58 documented and 40 suspected human cases. Although the infective agent could not be traced to the suspected well in Keru, perhaps because the water was treated before being examined, strong circumstantial epidemiologic evidence clearly pointed to this well as the sole common infective source. Further, the manner in which water was taken from this well permitted that kind of contamination required to complete the life-cycle of D. medinensis larvae could reach water infested with Cyclops spp. This was not true of the water sources in Agordat. Thiabendazole may well be a useful drug in the treatment of guinea worm infections in man, but its efficacy was not demonstrated in this study.

Descriptors:

• *PARASITIC DISEASES
• *FILARIAE
• *ETHIOPIA
• REPRINTS
• HUMANS
• BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION
• NEMATODA
• CHEMOTHERAPY
• ETIOLOGY
• EPIDEMIOLOGY
• WATER WELLS

Subject Categories:

• Medicine and Medical Research

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE