TABLE 2. Characteristics of specimens from humans and animals received at CDC for laboratory diagnosis of Dracunculus medinensis — January 2019–June 2020.
| Specimens received at CDC | Jan–Dec 2019 | Jan–Jun 2020 |
|---|---|---|
|
Specimens from humans
| ||
| No. received |
127 |
44 |
|
No. (%) laboratory confirmed as D. medinensis
|
67 (53) |
21 (41) |
|
Country of origin, no. of specimens (no. of patients)
| ||
| Angola |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
| Cameroon |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
| Chad |
50 (49) |
9 (9) |
| Ethiopia |
— |
9 (7) |
| Mali |
— |
1 (1) |
| South Sudan |
15 (4) |
— |
|
No. (%) ruled out as D. medinensis
|
60 (47) |
23 (59) |
|
No. (%) of other laboratory diagnoses
| ||
| Free-living nematode* |
7 (12) |
2 (9) |
|
Onchocerca
|
3 (5) |
1 (4) |
| Other parasitic nematode* |
2 (3)† |
3 (13)† |
| Sparganum |
20 (33) |
8 (35) |
| Tissue |
8 (13) |
2 (9) |
| Plant material |
4 (7) |
— |
| Other worms |
1 (2)§ |
4 (17)§ |
| Other |
— |
1 (4) ⁋ |
| Unknown origin |
15 (25) |
2 (9) |
|
Specimens from animals
| ||
| No. received |
59 |
19 |
|
No. (%) laboratory confirmed as D. medinensis
|
33 (56) |
5 (26) |
|
Country/Species of origin, no. of specimens (no. of animals)
| ||
| Angola |
3 |
— |
| Dog |
3 (1) |
— |
| Cameroon |
— |
3 |
| Dog |
— |
3 (100) |
| Chad |
16 |
— |
| Cat |
2 (2) |
— |
| Dog |
14 (14) |
— |
| Ethiopia |
5 |
2 |
| Baboon |
1 (1) |
2 (100) |
| Leopard |
1 (1) |
— |
| Dog |
3 (3) |
— |
| Mali |
9 |
— |
| Cat |
1 (1) |
— |
| Dog |
8 (8) |
— |
|
No. (%) ruled out as D. medinensis
|
26 (44) |
14 (74) |
|
No. (%) of other laboratory diagnoses
| ||
| Free-living nematode* |
11 (42) |
— |
| Other parasitic nematode* |
12 (46)** |
11 (78)** |
| Tissue |
— |
1 (7) |
| Other worms |
1 (4)†† |
1 (7)†† |
| Other |
— |
1 (7)§§ |
| Unknown origin |
2 (8) |
0 |
|
Specimens from unknown sources
| ||
| No. received |
2 |
— |
|
No. (%) laboratory confirmed as D. medinensis
|
0 |
— |
|
No. (%) ruled out as D. medinensis
|
2 (100) |
— |
|
No. (%) of other laboratory diagnoses
| ||
| Free-living nematode | 2 (100) | — |
* Free-living nematodes primarily included adult Mermithidae and other nematodes identified as belonging to nonparasitic taxa. Other parasitic nematodes included non-Onchocerca nematodes identified as belonging to parasitic taxa.
† Other parasitic nematodes submitted in association with human cases in 2019 included Elaeophora sp. (one) and a filarial nematode not identified to genus (one); during January–June 2020 submissions included Dirofilaria sp. (one), Eustrongylides sp. (one), and nematodes not identified further (two).
§ Other worms submitted in association with a human case in 2019 included a single tapeworm not identified further. Submissions in this category from human cases during January–June 2020 included an annelid (one); a horsehair (Gordian) worm (one); a specimen vial that contained two Acanthocephala not identified further and one Toxocara; and one nematode not able to be identified further (one).
⁋ The other specimen submitted in association with a human case during January–June 2020 was a small (approximately 15 cm) blind snake (infraorder Scolecophidia).
** Other parasitic nematodes submitted in association with animal cases in 2019 included Dirofilaria sp. (one), Eustrongylides sp. (three), Filaria sp. (one), Physaloptera sp. (one), Spirura sp. (one), Setaria sp. (one), and filarial nematodes not identified to genus (three); during January–June 2020, submissions included Protospirura sp. (one), Setaria sp. (one), Skrjabinodera sp. (two), filarial nematodes not identified to genus (six), and a spirurid nematode not identified to genus (one).
†† Other worms submitted in association with an animal case included a Taenia sp. in 2019, and an Acanthocephala not identified further during January–June 2020.
§§ The other specimen submitted in association with an animal case during January–June 2020 was a small blind snake (infraorder Scolecophidia).