Carter’s dream, almost reached: Guinea worm cases drop to 14

By ALEX SANZ and RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — The number of people infected with Guinea worm dropped to just over a dozen worldwide last year as health workers try to eradicate the disease. That’s according to The Carter Center, which said Wednesday that its surveillance program identified just 14 cases in four African countries last year. Guinea worm is a parasite that can grow inside people who drink unclean water. The worms grow 3 feet long before emerging through the skin. The disease infected 3.5 million people globally before The Carter Center began leading eradication efforts in the 1980s. The center was founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter.