guinea worm
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Tweet n. A nematode worm (Dracunculus medinensis) that is a parasite of humans in tropical Africa and formerly in Asia. Larvae are transmitted to humans when infected copepods are ingested in drinking water. The larvae develop in the body, and painful lesions occur when the mature female worms emerge gradually from the skin, usually of the lower legs. [After the Guinea coast of Africa.] |
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