Dracunculus medinensis.ppt

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dracunculus medinensis Katrina Kittleson, Steda Lundak Taxonomy Class: Secernentea Subclass: Spiruria Order: Spirurida Superfamily: Drancunculoidea Family: Dracunculidae Common names- Guinea Worm, Medina Worm, Serpent Worm, Dragon Worm History Known as a parasite of humans since about 1530 B.C. Guinea worm is thought to be the fiery serpent referred to in the Bible. The symbol of a Physician is the Caduceus. The serpents are believed to represent the Guinea worm. Persian physicians removing the D. medinensis parasite from patient during the 9th century-? Hosts Definitive: Humans Intermediate: Copepod Distribution Except for a few remote villages in the Rajastan desert of India and in Yemen, Guinea worm disease now occurs only in Africa. Infected areas in Africa lie in a band between the Sahara and the equator. Presently, only 9 countries are endemic: Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Niger, and Ivory Coast. 50% of all cases of Guinea worm disease are reported from southern Sudan. Distribution Smaller numbers of cases are reported from Ethiopia, Chad, Senegal, and Cameroon. Most cases occur in poor rural villages that are not visited by tourists. Morphology One of the largest nematodes known. Adult females have been recorded up to 800 mm long Few males known do not exceed 40 mm. The mouth is small and triangular and is surrounded by a quadrangular, sclerotized plate. Lips are absent. The esophagus has a large glandular portion Spicules of the male are unequal and 490 to 730 um long. The gubernaculum ranges from 115 to 130 um long. Morphology A: Adult D. medinensis worms. (A) The adult female guinea worm is a long, slender worm ranging from 30 to 120 cm in length and from 0.09 to 0.17 cm in width. B: Three mature guinea worms. Note the tiny size of the mature male (mm) compared with the mature female (mf) and especially the markedly elongated an