Attack of the Worms.....

That's the title of a column by Nicholas Kristoff in todays NYT. Unfortunately the column is behind the firewall. But he makes a point that doesn't get enough coverage. AIDS, Malaria, TB etc. are all horrible diseases that infect millions of people. But worms (helminth) infect BILLIONS of people.

It often costs hundreds of dollars a year to treat a person with AIDS, continuing for as long as the person lives. But it costs 3 cents per year per person for medicine to prevent elephantiasis, which is caused by worm-like creatures and is on my personal top-three list of diseases never to develop.

The column primarily discusses filarial worm infection and is accompanied with a truly disgusting photo of a foot affected with "elephantiasis" (bad enough that I won't show it). This is a disease caused by a mosquito-transmitted worm that is related to the worms that cause heartworm infection in dogs. We probably spend millions in the USA treating our dogs to prevent heartworm infection.

Unfortunately, treating helminth infected individuals with medication, while cheap and effective, is not a long term solution in many cases. Reducing worm infections is all about clean water and an adequate sanitation system. That's why worm infections are not common in economically developed nations.