Diagnosis of dracunculiasis is obvious once the white, filamentous adult worm appears at the cutaneous ulcer. Calcified worms can be localized with x-ray examination; they have been found in Egyptian mummies.
No serodiagnostic tests are available.
Manual removal
Treatment of dracunculiasis consists of slow removal of the adult worm (which may be up to 80 cm long) over days to weeks by rolling it on a stick. Surgical removal under local anesthesia is an option but is seldom available in endemic areas.
There are no effective anthelmintic drugs for this disease; the beneficial effect of metronidazole (250 mg orally 3 times a day for 10 days) has been ascribed to the drug’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
