All articles tagged with #new world screwworm
The first human case of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that causes tissue infestation, has been confirmed in Maryland after travel to Central America. While the risk to the US remains low due to successful eradication efforts, precautions are advised for travelers to endemic regions, and prompt medical treatment is necessary if infection occurs.
The first confirmed human case of New World screwworm myiasis in the US was reported in a traveler returning from El Salvador, highlighting a rare but serious parasitic infestation that primarily affects livestock but can also impact humans, with authorities monitoring the situation due to potential economic and health risks.
The US has confirmed its first human case of a flesh-eating parasite, the New World screwworm, in a Maryland resident who traveled from El Salvador. The parasite, which feeds on live tissue, is spreading in Central America and Mexico, but the risk to the US public remains low. Authorities are taking measures to prevent its entry into the US, including building a sterile fly production facility and monitoring imports.
A rare travel-related case of the flesh-eating New World screwworm was identified in Maryland, marking the first such human case in the US linked to an outbreak in Central America. The parasite, which feeds on living tissue, poses a threat to animals and potentially humans, but the risk to the US public remains low. The US is taking measures to prevent further spread, including building a sterile fly production facility and enhancing surveillance.
Due to the northward spread of New World Screwworm in Mexico, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has ordered the immediate closure of livestock ports along the southern border to prevent the pest's entry, as efforts to control and eradicate the disease are ongoing in Mexico.