Maybe you’ve used a LifeStraw to safely drink water from a stream while camping, or maybe you have one in your home to filter your drinking water. But did you know that the company behind this popular water filtration technology is close to completely eradicating an ancient disease from the planet?
For thousands of years, Guinea Worm or Dracunculiasis has plagued the continents of Africa and Asia, debilitating its victims and causing incredible pain and suffering. The disease stems from bad drinking water that contains Guinea Worm larvae, which for generations has been unwittingly ingested by humans. Once the Guinea Worm reaches maturity inside its host, the tapeworm bores its way out of the body, usually through the lower extremities. It’s a process that causes incredible pain and discomfort.
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If the Guinea Worm Eradication program is successful, Guinea Worm will be the second disease ever eradicated from planet Earth. Smallpox, the first, was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization in 1980. What’s even more remarkable about this accomplishment is that the disease would be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medicine.