Carter Center South Sudan’s Country Representative has expressed disappointment over the recent reported guinea worm outbreak in Rumbek Town, Western Lake state.

The Carter Center leads the international Guinea Worm Eradication Program and works in close partnership with national ministries of health and the W.H.O.

“The Carter Center is of course disappointed about the sudden confirmation of three reported cases of guinea worm outbreak disease in 2018 after 18 consecutive months of zero case reported,” said Sarah Yerian, the Carter Center representative.

In March, the ministry of health announced that it recorded zero cases of Guinea worm disease for 15 consecutive months.

But the ministry recorded new cases recently.

The three victims are cattle keepers: two female teenagers and 25-year-old man who are now receiving treatment at Rumbek-Guinea Worm Hub Compound.

“It is also very important to note as we have had already that the affected residents come from communities that area not settled in one place but move through former Lake state formal seasonally and by their very nature and difficult to monitor consistently,” added Sarah Yerian.

Guinea worm disease is a parasitic infection caused by a nematode roundworm parasite.

It is contracted when people consume water from stagnant sources contaminated with Guinea worm larvae.