Dictionary
guinea worm
noun
Definition of GUINEA WORM
: a slender nematode worm (Dracunculus medinensis) of tropical regions that is parasitic in humans, has no known animal reservoir, and has an adult female that infests subcutaneous tissues and may attain a length of several feet
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First Known Use of GUINEA WORM
1699
Medical Dictionary
guinea worm
noun
Medical Definition of GUINEA WORM
: a slender tropical nematode worm of the genus Dracunculus (D. medinensis) that is a human parasite with no known animal reservoir, has an adult female that may attain a length of several feet, and is characterized by a life cycle which includes larval development in copepods of the genus Cyclops, ingestions by humans in contaminated drinking water, passage from the intestine to connective tissues of the thorax and abdomen for maturation and mating, and migration of gravid females to subcutaneous tissues and then out through the skin—called also Medina worm; see dracunculiasis
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