Guinea Worm (Dracunculus medinensis) Infection in a Wild-Caught Frog, Chad

Abstract

A third-stage (infective) larva of Dracunculus medinensis, the causative agent of Guinea worm disease, was recovered from a wild-caught Phrynobatrachus francisci frog in Chad. Although green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) have been experimentally infected with D. medinensis worms, our findings prove that frogs can serve as natural paratenic hosts.

Keywords

• Dracunculus medinensis
• Phrynobatrachus francisci
• wild frog
• Guinea worm
• Chad
• paratenic host