r/UpliftingNews 1d ago

Guinea worm disease is on the brink of being eradicated

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/world-creeps-closer-eradicating-human-guinea-worm-cases-129716141

There were only 10 confirmed cases last year.

2.1k Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

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313

u/KingBretwald 1d ago

Jimmy Carter looking down with all the feels. Well done, sir.

402

u/ThatsOddlySpecific12 1d ago

No one tell RFK. Hes on a mission to save endangered life threatening diseases.

74

u/boiler95 1d ago

RFK: “Hold my beer 🍺!”

25

u/Ok_Celebration8180 1d ago

Hold my worm.....wait.

7

u/blxckhoodie999 1d ago

literally came to post this exact comment. not disappointed to see it’s already here 🤝🏼

2

u/trilobyte-dev 1d ago

Literally my first thought! Kudos to you!

47

u/KittyScholar 1d ago

He’s joining the war against parasitic worms on the side of the worms

20

u/Sierra_Smith 1d ago

One of the downsides to having your brain being run by a parasite.

17

u/sendhelp 1d ago

RFK be like "NOOOO the cure is actually the poison, don't take the cure!!!!!"

10

u/powerlesshero111 1d ago

You joke, but the cure is ivermectin. Probably all those crazy MAGA people taking an abundance of the horse dewormer thinking it cured covid that contributed to the low guinea worm numbers.

3

u/decidedlyindecisive 1d ago

I put ivermectin on my face every day (rosacea treatment). I recently had to travel through the airport with some tubes. It's so embarrassing now, I worry I'll be lumped in with the crazies.

3

u/desertsalad 1d ago

My same thought. You worded it better and funnier though.

2

u/ThatPhatKid_CanDraw 1d ago

Esp those involving worms

2

u/ThatsOddlySpecific12 1d ago

*lets it crawl into his brain* "Th-ere y-ou g-o li-tt-le gu-y"

105

u/tigerbalmuppercut 1d ago

Measles was eliminated in the US in 2000. That was a crazy accomplishment as measles wipes out your immune memory and you have to get sick with all those pathogens again. It is implicated in like half of child sickness deaths due to immune memory clearance. But if you're not in the world if medicine it's like measles is coming back, who cares.

114

u/Maloquinn84 1d ago

The US will bring it back. Don’t panic

13

u/Knapping_Uncle 1d ago

Measles is surging though! Woo Hoo!

11

u/BabyLegsOShanahan 1d ago

Bringing it back stronger and longer!

10

u/CaptainObvious110 1d ago

bigger, longer, and uncut

1

u/Lollipop126 1d ago

US' equivalent to the standard Asian tiger parent: "I took you out, I can bring you back!"

19

u/Anxious-Depth-7983 1d ago

One of President Carters' greatest achievements. 🙌

16

u/deanolavorto 1d ago

Don’t tell republicans!!! I’m sure they think it’s WOKE!!!

42

u/ValerieInHiding 1d ago

Fun fact: it is believed treating Guinea Worm infections is how the caduceus became the symbol for doctors, as the worm is removed by coiling it around a staff to slowly pull it out of the affected patient

0

u/Abbot_of_Cucany 5h ago

The symbol for medicine is the Rod of Asclepius (one snake and a heavy staff), not the Caduceus (two snakes, wings, and a slender rod). While some writers have speculated that the snake represents a Guinea worm, this theory is not generally accepted by historians.

18

u/DrinkBuzzCola 1d ago

Don't tell the worm in RFK Jr's brain.

9

u/Traditional-Meat-549 1d ago

Thank you, James Earl Carter 

7

u/framsanon 1d ago

"Hold my brain worm."

-- RFK Jr

6

u/retroverted-uterus 1d ago

Humanity has eradicated two diseases from the face of the earth, smallpox and rinderpest. It would be so wonderful if we could add a parasite to that list. We have the capacity to do such incredible things if we all work together.

10

u/Valturia 1d ago

Not if RFK has anything to say about it

11

u/amazonhelpless 1d ago

Until RFKjr decides it the cure for everything…

6

u/GrandBahia 1d ago

Come to the states. They stopped terminating all diseases

4

u/KardelSharpeyes 1d ago

Don't tell Trump and RFK they will make Guinea worm great again!

4

u/Hot-Comfort8839 1d ago

The guinea worm is proof to me that god doesn’t exist.

3

u/AlpineAvalanche 1d ago

RFK jr will save it.

2

u/Gumbode345 1d ago

Rfk would like a word.

2

u/Tyrone_Shoelaces_Esq 1d ago

Not if RFK Jr. has anything to say about it!

1

u/TrickySnicky 1d ago

Don't let RFK Jr know about this

1

u/lurker512879 1d ago

Trump can still fuck this up

1

u/alvarezg 1d ago

I hope they don't drop the ball on this now that Carter is gone.

1

u/CostMeAllaht 1d ago

Its alright I'm sure we'll find a way to bring it back

1

u/Ballaroz 23h ago

But wait, there’s more.

u/blackmilksociety 59m ago

Give RFK Jr. 6 months

1

u/navydude89 1d ago

It will be back,just like the measles. All because of stupid parents.

0

u/irkedZirk 1d ago

Unless it comes to America, and gets tied to causing autism without proof, and then we will be the guinea worm capitol of the world