Jimmy Carter’s biggest victory was in the field of killing worms

Former US President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. Although many aspects of Carter’s life are worth highlighting, few are as noteworthy as his efforts to help eradicate one of the world’s most horrific parasites, the Guinea worm (Urban Dragon).

Carter He died At his home in Plains, Georgia on Sunday, nearly two years after he first started hospice care. Although it was only served once often Criticized a lotAs the 39th President of the United States, his accomplishments extended far beyond those four years. Among these successes is the Carter Center Guinea worm eradication programmeHe is now inches away from complete victory.

Guinea worm is a parasite that has long had a bad reputation indicated In the Old Testament. the Freshwater nematode It usually infects humans through consumption of drinking water containing copepods – small crustaceans – which are themselves infested with worm larvae.

The larvae reach our intestines, where they fully mature and mate. Then the males die and the pregnant females — which are up to three feet (100 cm) long — migrate to a place under the skin, usually along our legs. About a year after infection, females develop a blister. When this blister bursts, the worm slowly emerges from our skin, causing a painful burning sensation that prompts the sufferer to cool their wound in the nearest water source. The female then releases thousands of larvae into the water, beginning the whole process.

This infection is not only annoying, but often quite debilitating. It can take days or weeks to safely and painfully extract the worm, during which time people are unable to work or go to school. If the worm breaks off during removal, it can lead to secondary infections that ultimately lead to permanent disability.

While freshwater sanitation made Guinea worm disease less serious globally by the late 20th century, about 3.5 million people still contract this infection annually throughout Africa and Asia. During the eighties. In 1986, Carter’s nonprofit organization, The Carter Center, began a public health campaign to eradicate guinea worm. And it was Clear success. Last year, there were only 14 cases of Guinea worm infection in humans; As of November, there was Only 7 cases In 2024.

Of course, Carter and his organization don’t deserve all the credit. The World Health Organization and other large groups have also played an important role, while community leaders and residents in endemic areas are the driving force behind efforts to eradicate the disease on the ground. Since there is no vaccine or medicine for Guinea worm, the eradication campaign has largely relied on physical interventions e.g Permanent straw Which filters infected copepods from drinking water, in addition to closely monitoring potential cases.

Things did not go smoothly during the campaign. Guinea worm was a suitable candidate for eradication because the worms depend primarily on the human host to reach their full life cycle. For a long time, we thought that only humans could act as the final link in the chain, but it became clear a decade ago that species can also mature inside other animals, Especially dogs. So while annual human cases have remained low in recent years, they have been Thousands of annual infections reported in animals over the past decade.

This latest development has set back the timeline for Guinea worm eradication. Until infection in both humans and animals reaches zero and remains at zero for several years, the worm can persist. But health officials and communities in affected areas are adapting. Reported annual animal cases recently declined from 886 cases in 2023 to 448 cases so far this year, suggesting that efforts on the ground are mitigating the spread of the parasite among animal hosts.

Jimmy Carter said in 2015 that he hoped to see Complete eradication of Guinea worm Before his death. Unfortunately, this did not happen. But Carter certainly left behind a tremendous public health legacy that will last long after his death.