Dracunculosis is characterized by chronic skin ulcers. Tissue under the skin is infiltrated by developing larvae of the parasitic worm known as Dracunculus medinensis, or Guinea worm. A female worm ready to release larvae produces stinging elevated spots (papules), causing redness and itching of the skin.
Is there a parasite that comes out of your skin?
People in remote rural communities who have Guinea worm disease often do not have access to health care. When the adult female worm comes out of the skin, it can be very painful, take time to remove, and be disabling. The wound caused by the emerging worm may develop a secondary bacterial infection.
How do you get rid of skin worms?
There are two medications that can be used to treat the infection and manage the symptoms. The treatment of choice is diethylcarbamazine (DEC), which kills the microfilariae and adult worms. Albendazole is sometimes used in patients who are not cured with multiple DEC treatments.
What does body worms look like?
Human pinworms cannot infect any other animals. Adult worms are just 0.2 to 0.4 inches or 5 to 10 millimeters (mm) in length, about the size of a staple. They are white or cream colored and look like small pieces of thread.
Do scabies look like worms?
Some people can see scabies mites when they look carefully. When we look at them with the microscope, we see that scabies mites have arms and legs like ticks. Strongyloides look like threadworms. We can't see Strongyloides with our eyes alone, but we can see them with a microscope.
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