Good worm bad worm:). I remember @nonzerosum also mentioned the guinea worms in a post. Seriously nasty, I am lucky to have always lived in a country with clean water. I have heard that normal earthworms do a lot of good for the soil, looks like they are even more useful than I realised. I always did try not to slice them with the shovel when digging in the garden.
Thanks for not slicing them:) I don't know how I got into this post, but once I began it really took over. I've known about Carter's initiative with Guinea worms for years (I actually donated), but knew nothing about their life cycle, etc. Also, earthworms--knew nothing. This was quite enlightening--and hard. Now I think I'll take a rest and go over to the finish a story contest. Hope to see you there....
Hi @agmoore, this was an excellent overview! I had no idea about some of these interventions.
The Carter Foundation has done such an amazing job. In 1986 Guinea worm infected 3.5 million people a year, last year it infected 30 people in total!. This should be headline news in every country of the world, it's a massive global achievement that we can all celebrate in. It was really sad when we found it could infect dogs because as you say an animal reservoir makes eradication so much harder. That said cases in dogs is also down by a substantial amount now.
5 years I give it until humanity never has to deal with this nightmare of a worm again. It will be a race between this and polio for the second pathogen (after smallpox) that we as a species eradicate. Exciting times!
I understand there's a bounty on every reported case in dogs. That should help in tracking.
I love Jimmy Carter. No fancy planes. Big parties. He goes where he is needed and does what is required. That is a life well-lived. It is exciting that we may be rid of these two scourges. A lot of good people devoted their minds and lives to making it happen. Grateful to them.