Definition
GWORMKIDEV indicates whether the young child ever had parasitic Guinea worm disease, an infection (also known as dracunculiasis) transmitted by drinking contaminated water. According to a CDC website here [URL omitted from DDI.], Guinea worm disease is considered to be a Neglected Tropic Disease (NTD) that causes pain, disability, and secondary bacterial infections.
According to the CDC, "there is no drug to treat Guinea worm disease and no vaccination to prevent infection." A worm protruding from the skin can be slowly pulled out (usually over a period of weeks) or surgically removed. Palliative treatment such as aspirin or ibuprofen may reduce pain and swelling; antibiotics may prevent or treat secondary infections. Eradication efforts have focused on prevention, by providing communities with safe sources of drinking water and/or teaching people to treat or filter water that carries the Guinea worm larvae.