New York Times: The Man Who (Almost) Wiped Out the Guinea Worms
“Dr. Ernesto Ruiz-Tiben’s days on the front lines of the guinea-worm wars often end with a dinner of what he calls ‘poulet à la bicyclette’ — chicken so lean and muscular that it could ride in the Tour de France. But before anyone on his team eats, one tradition must be honored. Dr. Ruiz-Tiben raises a beer: ‘To the demise of the worm!’ ‘To the demise of the worm!’ cry all in attendance, clinking glasses. It is a ritual he has followed for decades, ever since becoming the chief strategist in the war against the Guinea worm run by the Carter Center, the global health philanthropy established in Atlanta by former President Jimmy Carter…” (McNeil, 6/18).

New York Times: Nearly Eradicated in Humans, the Guinea Worm Finds New Victims: Dogs
“…In [Chad, an] arid central African country, the long global struggle to eliminate a horrifying human parasite has encountered a serious setback: dogs. They are being infected with Guinea worms, and no one knows how. Scientists are desperate to solve the puzzle. If the answer isn’t found soon, or if the worms begin to spread widely into other species — a handful already have been found in cats and even baboons — then 32 years of work to end the scourge may crumble, said Mark L. Eberhard, a parasitologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…” (McNeil, 6/18).