February 4, 2026
Wormageddon (Almost) Over
Guinea worm on track to be 2nd eradicated human disease; only 10 cases in 2025
From 3.5 million to 10: Guinea worm’s endgame sparks cheers, doubts, and ivermectin jokes
TLDR: Guinea worm disease has fallen to just 10 cases in 2025, putting it on the brink of becoming the second eradicated human disease after smallpox. Commenters cheered the Carter Center’s work but argued over stubborn animal infections and whether eradication is possible, with jokes about ivermectin and ‘last mile’ doubts
Internet for once: united in good news? Almost. With just 10 human cases worldwide in 2025, Guinea worm disease is inching toward becoming only the second human disease ever wiped out after smallpox—down from a mind-blowing 3.5 million in 1986. The comments popped off with gratitude for the late Jimmy Carter’s team—“Thanks, Carter!”—and big feel-good energy, with users urging everyone to share the story as proof that public health still works. Cue inspirational speeches about how will to do good beats doomscrolling cynicism, and shoutouts to the Carter Center.
Then the plot twist: the “not so fast” crowd. User cubefox pointed to the animal cases—Chad (147), Mali (17), Cameroon (445), Angola (70), Ethiopia (1), South Sudan (3)—and the thread split. Commenters explained that diseases that infect animals and humans (aka “zoonoses”) are notoriously hard to erase, with poulpy123 flatly saying they don’t see how we eradicate them. Realists vs. optimists, gloves off.
Comedy interlude: one poster joked this was “finally something ivermectin can help with!”—then self-own linked a PubMed study suggesting… nope. Meanwhile, others celebrated the last-mile grind—2025’s human cases are just four in Chad, four in Ethiopia, two in South Sudan, provisional till April—and begged everyone to stay focused. Hope vs. hesitation, science vs. skepticism, and a rare internet moment where both sides agree: this fight matters.
Key Points
- •The Carter Center reported a provisional total of 10 human Guinea worm cases worldwide in 2025.
- •If eradicated, Guinea worm would be the second human disease eliminated after smallpox.
- •Human cases in 2025 occurred in Chad (4), Ethiopia (4), and South Sudan (2).
- •Animal cases were detected in 2025 in Chad (147), Mali (17), Cameroon (445), and Angola (70), with detections also noted in Ethiopia.
- •Only six countries remain uncertified by WHO as Guinea worm-free; 2025 figures are provisional pending an April program meeting.