U.S. health officials have confirmed the first human case of New World screwworm. The flesh-eating parasite was found in a patient who had recently traveled abroad. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated the risk to public health is very low. However, the case puts the nation’s livestock industry on high alert.
Details of the Maryland Case
The case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on August 4. The patient is located in Maryland. Officials say the person contracted the parasite while traveling in Central America. HHS identified the country as El Salvador. This conflicts with beef industry sources who said the travel was to Guatemala. The patient was treated and prevention measures were put in place. No animal cases have been found in the U.S. this year.
What Is Screwworm?
Screwworms are the larvae of a parasitic fly. Female flies lay hundreds of eggs in open wounds on any warm-blooded animal, including humans. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into living flesh. Their feeding motion resembles a screw, which gives them their name. An untreated infestation can be fatal. The U.S. successfully eradicated screwworm in the 1960s.
A Major Threat to Livestock
While rare in humans, screwworm is devastating to cattle and wildlife. An outbreak could cripple the U.S. cattle industry. The USDA estimates a screwworm infestation in Texas alone could cost the economy $1.8 billion. This includes livestock deaths, labor, and medication expenses. Ranchers and beef producers are now on high alert.
U.S. Prepares a Strong Defense
The government is already taking action against the threat. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced plans to build a new sterile fly facility in Texas. This facility will raise and sterilize billions of male screwworm flies. Officials will then release these flies from the air. The sterile males mate with wild females, but their eggs do not hatch. This proven technique will help stop the parasite’s spread from the south.
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