Federal officials in the U.S. have confirmed the first human case of the flesh-eating parasite New World Screwworm linked to ongoing outbreaks in Central America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Health confirmed the case on Aug. 4. The risk to public health in the U.S. from this introduction is very low. The bug was found on a person after they returned from traveling to El Salvador, which is currently experiencing an outbreak of the parasite. New World screwworms are a type of parasitic fly that lays eggs in warm-blooded animals such as cattle, horses, and household pets. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) typically finds the parasite in South America and the Caribbean. Recent cases of the fly infecting cattle in Mexico have prompted the Trump administration to take action. Treatment involves removing the larvae, which may require surgery. The Trump administration has boosted efforts to combat the spread of the virus, including breeding millions of sterile flies to spread over southern Texas and parts of Mexico.
The first U.S. screwworm case in years has been confirmed in Maryland.
