United States authorities have confirmed the first human case of a flesh-eating parasite infestation in the country.
The Department of Health and Human Services reported on Monday that a patient returning from El Salvador was diagnosed with New World screwworm myiasis, with confirmation of the case on 4 August.
NWS myiasis is caused by parasitic flies whose larvae, commonly known as maggots, feed on living tissue.
The condition primarily affects livestock, and officials have emphasized that the current risk to public health in the US remains “very low.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated with Maryland’s health department in investigating the case.
HHS spokesperson, Andrew Nixon, highlighted that this represents the first human case of travel-associated NWS myiasis from an outbreak-affected country identified in the US.
The destructive pest, which targets living tissue, is normally found in South America and the Caribbean.
Despite measures to prevent its northward spread, cases have now been reported across all Central American nations, including Mexico.
According to the CDC, humans, especially those with open wounds, are susceptible to the infestation. Travelers to affected regions or individuals in rural areas near livestock face a higher risk.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has joined forces with agricultural agencies, the US State Department, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to respond to the outbreak.
“When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal,” the USDA said. “NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, people.”
The USDA also warned that a screwworm outbreak in livestock could have serious economic consequences, threatening more than $100bn (£73.9bn) in activities related to the cattle and livestock industry.
