Guinea Worm Disease Persuasive Speech Outline

I. Introduction

A. Attention Step: Can you imagine living each day with little to no water. Not even enough water for a toilet or a shower. While reading my textbook for my nutrition class, I came across this horrific picture that disturbed me to the core. It prompted me to want to know more about what this all means. (PICTURE)

B. Establish Credibility: According to the CDC, it is estimated that 801,000 children under the age of 5, around the globe, die from diarrhea each year. Most deaths occur in developing countries without access to adequate clean water. This equals nearly 2,200 children that are dying every day because of diarrheal diseases from contaminated water. In Flint, Michigan there are 9,000 children with

Sub-point 1
Guinea worm disease
People become infected with Guinea worm by drinking water from ponds and other stagnant water containing tiny "water fleas" that carry the Guinea worm larvae. The larvae are eaten by the water fleas that live in these water sources.

Once drunk, the larvae are released from copepods in the stomach and penetrate the digestive track, passing into the body cavity. During the next 10-14 months, the female larvae grow into full-size adults. These adults grow up to 3 feet long and as wide as a cooked spaghetti noodle.

When the adult female worm is ready to emerge, she creates a blister on the skin anywhere on the body, but usually on the legs and feet. This blister causes a very painful burning feeling and it bursts within 24-72 hours. Immersing the affected body part into water helps relieve the pain. It also causes the Guinea worm to come out of the wound and release a milky white liquid into the water that contains millions of immature larvae. This contaminates the water supply and starts the cycle over again. For several days, the female worm can release more larvae whenever it comes in contact with