DRACONTIASIS Meaning and
Definition
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Dracontiasis is a medical term that refers to a condition caused by the parasitic infestation of a person's body with a type of roundworm known as the guinea worm, scientifically called Dracunculus medinensis. It is also commonly known as guinea worm disease. The condition occurs primarily in rural and impoverished regions of Africa and Asia, where contaminated water sources are prevalent.
The lifecycle of the guinea worm starts when a person drinks water containing microscopic water fleas (cyclops) infected with guinea worm larvae. Once inside the human host, the larvae mature and mate, with the female worm growing up to several feet long. After about a year, the female guinea worm creates a painful blister on the skin, usually in the lower limbs, and releases thousands of larvae when it comes into contact with water. This action leads to intense pain, inflammation, and secondary infections, making dracontiasis a debilitating condition.
Prevention and control of dracontiasis are mainly focused on providing safe sources of drinking water, filtering water to remove the infected fleas, and educating communities on the importance of avoiding contact with contaminated water. Additionally, efforts have been made to improve sanitation practices and implement community-based surveillance to track and contain the infection.
Efforts by various organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and The Carter Center, have significantly reduced the prevalence of dracontiasis in recent decades.
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Infestation with the guinea-worm.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for DRACONTIASIS
- sracontiasis
- xracontiasis
- cracontiasis
- fracontiasis
- rracontiasis
- eracontiasis
- deacontiasis
- ddacontiasis
- dfacontiasis
- dtacontiasis
- d5acontiasis
- d4acontiasis
- drzcontiasis
- drscontiasis
- drwcontiasis
- drqcontiasis
- draxontiasis
- dravontiasis
- drafontiasis
- dradontiasis
Etymology of DRACONTIASIS
The word "dracontiasis" comes from the combination of two Greek terms. "Drakon" means "dragon" or "serpent", and "iásis" means "disease" or "affliction". Therefore, "dracontiasis" can be understood to mean a disease or affliction caused by a dragon or serpent. However, it should be noted that in medical terminology, "dracontiasis" is used to refer to a parasitic infection caused by the guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis), which is not actually related to dragons or serpents.
Similar spelling words for DRACONTIASIS
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