How do people get Guinea worm disease?

People get infected when they drink standing water containing a tiny water flea that is infected with the even tinier larvae of the Guinea worm. Over the course of a year in the human body, the immature worms pierce the intestinal wall, grow to adulthood, and mate. The males die, and the females make their way through the body, maturing to a length of as much as 3 feet, and ending up near the surface of the skin, usually in the lower limbs. The worms cause swelling and painful, burning blisters. To soothe the burning, sufferers tend to go into the water, where the blisters burst, allowing the worm to emerge and release a new generation of millions of larvae. In the water, the larvae are swallowed by small water fleas, and the cycle begins again.

(Guinea Worm Disease Facts)

I recall a class visit to an agricultural research station where one of the staff discussed various nematode parasites. He noted the treatment for Guinea worm employed by the ancient Egyptians: lower the infected extremity into water, then when the worm extends out into the water, grab the end and wrap that part on a stick. Then, each day following, the worm relaxes a bit and another inch or two can be wrapped on the stick. Within a month, all of the worm is on the stick. I recall that someone asked whether modern medicine had improved on the technique. “Certainly,” the staffer said, “now we wrap the worm on a stainless steel rod.”

If you have a good internet connection, you can watch the daily show online (streaming).
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/headlines/index.jhtml

And if you don’t have a good internet connection, “Crooks and Liars” sometimes has downloadable copies of the Daily Show.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/