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Definition of Dracunculus medinensis
1. Noun. Parasitic roundworm of India and Africa that lives in the abdomen or beneath the skin of humans and other vertebrates.
Generic synonyms: Nematode, Nematode Worm, Roundworm
Group relationships: Dracunculus, Genus Dracunculus
Medical Definition of Dracunculus medinensis
1. A species of skin-infecting, yard-long nematodes, formerly incorrectly classed as Filaria; adult worms live anywhere in the body of humans and various semi-aquatic mammals; the females migrate along fascial planes to subcutaneous tissues, where troublesome chronic ulcers are formed in the skin; when the host enters water, larvae are discharged from the ulcers, from which the head of the female worm protrudes; these larvae, if ingested by Cyclops species, develop in the intermediate host to the infective stage; humans and various animals contract the infection from accidental ingestion of infected Cyclops in drinking water. Popularly known as guinea, Medina, serpent, or dragon worm, and frequently thought to be the "fiery serpent" that plagued the Israelites. Origin: L. Of Medina (05 Mar 2000)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Dracunculus Medinensis
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