The Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) is a parasitic worm found in parts of Africa. Unlike other types of parasites that act as population control, this species exists only to cause misery.
Specifically, human misery.
People get infected by drinking contaminated water. You stay fine for about a year, and then form a painful blister somewhere on your legs or feet. It opens up and an earthworm begins to emerge that can be six feet/three feet long.
It comes out all at once. You have to wind it up one inch at a time every day for weeks until you can pull the full worm meter out. If you go too fast, it breaks up the worm and leaves the rest inside your body to rot.
The worm causes burning pain, which leads the infected person to try to relieve the pain by submerging the infected limb in cold water. This is exactly what the worm wants, and then it will proceed to release hundreds to thousands of larvae into the water… Ready to infect someone else again.
It’s weeks of misery and pain.
Fortunately, former President Jimmy Carter and his wife had made a personal mission to eradicate this parasite from the planet. Thanks to him and many generous people, there is a real chance that this worm could become extinct in a short time.