Guinea worm on track to be 2nd eradicated human disease; only 10 cases in 2025
a month ago
- #Guinea worm
- #public health
- #disease eradication
- Guinea worm infections reached an all-time low of 10 human cases worldwide in 2025.
- Eradication of Guinea worm would make it the second human disease to be eradicated after smallpox.
- Guinea worm is transmitted through water contaminated with larvae-harboring copepods.
- The parasite causes painful blisters, usually in the feet or legs, and can lead to severe complications like secondary infections and disability.
- The eradication program started in 1986 with 3.5 million cases across 21 countries; now, only six countries remain uncertified as Guinea worm-free.
- Cases dropped from 15 in 2024 to 10 in 2025 (provisional data).