Despite Success, More Work to be Done Fighting Guinea Worm

Despite Success, More Work to be Done Fighting Guinea Worm

The Carter Center said recently that only 13 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported worldwide last year. That is a major drop from 3.5 million cases of infected people in 1986.

These early numbers are expected to be confirmed in the coming months. Still, the Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Eleanor Rosalynn Carter, said the last part of the international effort to end the parasitic¹ disease will be "the most difficult."

Guinea worm is a disease that affects poor communities in distant parts of Africa and Asia that do not have safe water to drink. People who drink unclean water can get parasites³ that can grow up to 1 meter. The worm grows in people for up to a year before painfully coming out, often through the feet or other sensitive parts of the body.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is neither a drug treatment for Guinea worm disease nor a vaccine⁴ to prevent it. Guinea worm disease can be prevented by training people to filter and drink clean water.

In 1986, the Atlanta-based Carter Center joined the WHO and UNICEF in the fight against Guinea worm disease. The center said the remaining infections occurred in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Six human cases were reported in Chad, five in South Sudan, one in Ethiopia and one in the Central African Republic. The Central African Republic case remains⁵ under investigation⁶.

Adam Weiss is the director of The Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication⁷ Program. Weiss told The Associated Press that the final efforts to eradicate⁸, or completely end, the disease could be difficult.

Weiss said the populations where Guinea worm still exists often face insecurity, including conflict, which can prevent workers and volunteers from going house to house to offer support.

Weiss cautioned⁹ if support for these communities slows or stops "there's no question that you're going to see a surge¹⁰ in Guinea worm." He added, "We're continuing to make progress, even if it is not as fast as we all want it to be, but that progress continues."

Guinea worm could be the second human disease to be ended after smallpox¹¹, says The Carter Center.

Words in This Story

worm – n. an infection or a disease caused by tiny worms that live inside the body of an animal or person

parasite² – n. an animal or plant that lives in or on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it

filter – v. to pass (something, such as a gas or liquid) through a filter to remove something unwanted

surge – n. a sudden, large increase

1 parasitic   

adj.寄生的

参考例句：

• Will global warming mean the spread of tropical parasitic diseases?全球变暖是否意味着热带寄生虫病会蔓延呢？
• By definition,this way of life is parasitic.从其含义来说，这是种寄生虫的生活方式。

2 parasite   

n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客

参考例句：

• The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
• I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。

3 parasites   

寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫

参考例句：

• These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的，而与寄生虫无关。
• Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。

4 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

8 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

9 cautioned   

v.警告，提醒，劝…小心( caution的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He cautioned us for playing in that busy street. 他告诫我们不要在那条交通繁忙的路上玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He cautioned that the Russia-American discussions were still in an exploratory stage. 他警告说俄美会谈尚处于探索阶段。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 surge   

n.汹涌，澎湃；vi.汹涌，强烈感到，飞涨；vt.放开，松手

参考例句：

• The surge travelled southwards along the coast.浪涛沿着海岸向南涌去。
• It failed to stimulate a surge of investment in industry.这没有能刺激工业投资的激增。

11 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？