New US case of human screwworms identified in Maryland
Four sources say cases of meat-emitting screwworm parasites have been identified in Maryland people who traveled from Guatemala.
Human cases of carnivorous screwworms have been detected in the US, linked to the latest outbreak of Central American parasites, officials say.
The patient recently returned to Maryland after a trip to El Salvador, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
On August 4, the Maryland Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the parasite as a new world screwworm, but said it was linked to travel.
“The risk to public health in the United States from this referral is very low,” Nixon said.
While it is unlikely that you will get infected with parasites in the US, here is what you need to know about the New World screwworms.
What are the screwworms in the new world?
New World Screwworm Larvae feed live tissues and affect animals and livestock primarily. However, according to the CDC, humans can also invade larvae.
Flies were eradicated in the United States in the 1960s and in Mexico in the 1970s. However, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras have recently recorded cases despite the parasite being eradicated in Central America in the early 2000s.
Who will be most affected by the screwworms of the New World?
Travel-related cases of screwworms pose a low threat to US public health, with the government not seeing cases of screwworms invading animals in the US in 2025.
But the incident will shake cattle ranchers, beef producers and livestock traders who were already wary of potential screwworm invasions, according to Reuters.
The parasite then migrated from Central America to southern Mexico, raising concerns about potential invasions if the fly continued to move north.
The outbreak in the US will affect domestic cattle, increasing beef prices already at record highs.
Fighting the Screwworm
The USDA will build facilities in Texas, the largest state that produces cattle, producing infertile flies that will prevent the number of flies from increasing.
The department will spend up to $750 million on the facility, according to Reuters.
Texas ranchers are anticipating the return of parasites for the first time in decades.
How have screwworms been eradicated?
In the 20th century, the US excluded screwworms by flying planes over hot spots and dropping sterile fly boxes in hot pots.
(The headline for this story has been updated.)
Contribution: Reuters
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