Dracunculus medinensis

The scientific name for the guinea worm, a human parasite found especially in Sudan, Ghana, and other African nations. The guinea worm causes infection when its larvae are drunk in unfiltered or unsanitary water. The larvae enter the body through the stomach or duodenum, migrate through internal organs, and become adults. After mating, the adult female burrows to the subcutaneous tissue, often of the leg.


 


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