Disability from dracunculiasis: effect on mobility.

A study was conducted in northeastern Imo State to define the disability and restriction of mobility associated with dracunculiasis. The study was part of an evaluation of the UNICEF-assisted Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Imo State, Nigeria. A sample of household units (100 in year 1, 195 in year 2) was visited every two weeks to determine who was affected by dracunculiasis and to characterize the extent of related disability. The average duration of symptoms was 12.7 weeks (range 3-29 weeks). Fifty eight per cent of all episodes of disease resulted in severe disability (with the individual unable to leave the compound) lasting a mean of 4.2 weeks (range 2-12). The mean period of severe disability was significantly higher for those aged 50 years and over than for those less than 50 years old. In the area studied, the disease occurred during the peak yam and rice harvest time and the period of preparation for the planting season. This is the first study to document systematically and prospectively the marked restriction of normal activity in affected individuals and the long duration of the disability. These findings can assist in improving estimates of the costs associated with dracunculiasis and of potential economic benefits if the disease were eradicated.