GUINEA worm has existed for millennia. Cases are referenced in the Bible and seen painted in Egyptian hieroglyphics. They speak of a parasite that lurks in the murkiest depths and emerges where it is least wanted. “The quintessential disease of forgotten people in forgotten places.” A freshly-dousted US President, not content to join the after-dinner speaking circuit, leads a group of seasoned public health workers. All within their rights to collect a state pension and sip iced tea, but instead, they choose to take on an ancient, devastating parasite.f