第1726期:Despite Success More Work to be Done Fighting Guinea Worm

The Carter Center said recently that only 13 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported worldwide last year. That is a major drop from 3.5 million cases of infected people in 1986. These early numbers are expected to be confirmed in the coming months. Still, the Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Eleanor Rosalynn Carter, said the last part of the international effort to end the parasitic disease will be “the most difficult.” Guinea worm is a disease that affects poor communities in distant parts of Africa and Asia that do not have safe water to drink. People who drink unclean water can get parasites that can grow up to 1 meter. The worm grows in people for up to a year before painfully coming out, often through the feet or other sensitive parts of the body.

卡特中心最近表示，去年全球仅报告了 13 例人类麦地那龙线虫病病例。与 1986 年的 350 万感染病例相比大幅下降。预计这些早期数字将在未来几个月内得到确认。尽管如此，由美国前总统吉米·卡特和他的妻子埃莉诺·罗莎琳·卡特创立的卡特中心表示，结束寄生虫病的国际努力的最后一部分将是“最困难的”。麦地那龙线虫是一种影响非洲和亚洲偏远地区贫困社区的疾病，那里没有安全饮用水。饮用不洁水的人会感染长达 1 米的寄生虫。蠕虫在人体内生长长达一年，然后才痛苦地出来，通常是通过脚或身体的其他敏感部位。

The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is neither a drug treatment for Guinea worm disease nor a vaccine to prevent it. Guinea worm disease can be prevented by training people to filter and drink clean water. In 1986, the Atlanta-based Carter Center joined the WHO and UNICEF in the fight against Guinea worm disease. The center said the remaining infections occurred in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Six human cases were reported in Chad, five in South Sudan, one in Ethiopia and one in the Central African Republic. The Central African Republic case remains under investigation.

世界卫生组织 (WHO) 表示，既没有治疗麦地那龙线虫病的药物，也没有预防它的疫苗。可以通过训练人们过滤和饮用干净的水来预防麦地那龙线虫病。 1986 年，位于亚特兰大的卡特中心与世界卫生组织和联合国儿童基金会一起抗击麦地那龙线虫病。该中心表示，其余感染病例发生在撒哈拉以南非洲的四个国家。乍得报告了 6 例人间病例，南苏丹有 5 例，埃塞俄比亚有 1 例，中非共和国有 1 例。中非共和国案件仍在调查中。

Adam Weiss is the director of The Carter Center’s Guinea Worm Eradication Program. Weiss told The Associated Press that the final efforts to eradicate, or completely end, the disease could be difficult.↳ Weiss said the populations where Guinea worm still exists often face insecurity, including conflict, which can prevent workers and volunteers from going house to house to offer support. Weiss cautioned if support for these communities slows or stops “there’s no question that you’re going to see a surge in Guinea worm.” He added, “We’re continuing to make progress, even if it is not as fast as we all want it to be, but that progress continues.”

Adam Weiss 是卡特中心麦地那龙线虫根除计划的主任。 Weiss 告诉美联社，根除或彻底结束这种疾病的最后努力可能很困难。↳ Weiss 说，麦地那龙线虫仍然存在的人群经常面临不安全，包括冲突，这可能会阻止工人和志愿者挨家挨户提供支持。韦斯警告说，如果对这些社区的支持放缓或停止，“毫无疑问，你会看到麦地那龙线虫病激增。”他补充说，“我们正在继续取得进展，即使它没有我们所有人希望的那么快，但这种进步仍在继续。”

Guinea worm could be the second human disease to be ended after smallpox, says The Carter Center.

卡特中心表示，麦地那龙线虫病可能是继天花之后被消灭的第二种人类疾病。