- Joined
- Jun 4, 2012
- Reaction score
- 579
A parasite that has plagued the human race since antiquity is poised to become the second human disease after smallpox to be eradicated. “We are approaching the demise of the last guinea worm who will ever live on earth,” says former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, whose Carter Center has spearheaded the eradication effort.
- Scientific America
This is a nasty parasite. It causes a burning sensation, and the only treatment is to wrap the worm around a stick and slowly pull it out, a process that can take days or months.
This will be the second human disease eradicated after smallpox. Polio will probably be the third.
While a small part of me bemoans the loss of another species, I recognize that this is a step ahead.