Ophanet, who are a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when if affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Dracunculiasis as a "rare disease". More information about Dracunculiasis is available from Orphanet
In 1998, 78,338 cases of Guinea worm were reported. Most of those cases were from Sudan where the ongoing civil war makes it impossible to eradicate the disease. All affected countries (Source: excerpt from Dracunculiasis: DPD)
Since 1986, when an estimated 3.5 million people were infected, an international campaign was established to eliminate the disease. In 1995 the total number of people infected in the world had dropped to about 130,000, <4% of the total in 1986. (Source: excerpt from Facts About Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm Disease): CDC-OC)
78,338 cases in 1998 worldwide (DPD)
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Both forms of hookworm disease are transmitted to humans through direct skin penetration (usually in the foot) by hookworm larvae in soil contaminated with feces containing hookworm ova. These ova develop into infectious larvae in 1 to 3 days. Larvae travel through the lymphatics to the pulmonary capillaries, where they penetrate alveoli and move up the bronchial tree to the trachea and epiglottis, where they're swallowed and enter the GI tract. When they reach the small intestine, they mature, attach to the jejunal mucosa, and suck blood, oxygen, and glucose from the intestinal wall. These mature worms then deposit ova, which are excreted in the stool, starting the cycle anew. Hookworm larvae mature in approximately 5 to 6 weeks.
Hookworm disease, affecting billions of people worldwide, is most common in moist tropical and subtropical regions. There's little risk of aquiring hookworm disease in the United States because of advances in sanitization and waste control.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
The term 'prevalence' of Dracunculiasis usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Dracunculiasis at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Dracunculiasis refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Dracunculiasis diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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