First human case of flesh-eating maggot in U.S. detected in traveler, feds say
The first human case of the flesh-eating parasite New World screwworm in the U.S. was confirmed in a traveler who visited Central America, federal officials said Monday.
The parasite, known as the New World screwworm, was detected in a person who recently traveled to El Salvador.
“This is the first human case of travel-associated New World screwworm myiasis (parasitic infestation of fly larvae) from an outbreak-affected country identified in the United States,” HHS spokesperson Vianca N. Rodriguez Feliciano said in a statement.
“The risk to public health in the United States from this introduction is very low,” she said.
The case was confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the Maryland Department of Health on Aug. 4.
The parasite can cause devastating damage to cattle, pets, and, in rare cases, humans, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The fly lays its larvae in open wounds of warm-blooded animals, according to the CDC, and can feed on live tissue.
The New World screwworm has been cleared from the U.S. for decades, but recent detections in Mexico have spurred the U.S. to launch a plan to defend the country against the parasite. In June, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins launched an $8.5 million dispersal of sterile flies in South Texas to respond to the pest.
