The Division of Well being and Human Providers mentioned the case poses a ‘very low’ danger to public well being in america.
The primary travel-related human case of the flesh-eating screwworm parasite has been detected in america, involving a person in Maryland, the Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) mentioned on Aug. 25.
The individual was found to be contaminated with the New World screwworm parasite after returning to Maryland from El Salvador, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon informed The Epoch Instances in an emailed assertion.
Nixon mentioned the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention labored with the Maryland Division of Well being to research the case and confirmed the an infection on Aug. 4 by telediagnosis.
“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,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Nixon mentioned that the case posed a “very low” danger to public well being in america. Details about the affected person’s situation or signs was not instantly out there.
Maryland Well being Division spokesperson David McCallister informed The Epoch Instances by electronic mail that the affected person has recovered from the an infection and that there was no signal of transmission to different individuals or animals.
“Currently, the risk to public and animal health in Maryland from this introduction is very low,” McCallister acknowledged, calling the detection “a timely reminder for health care providers, livestock owners and others to maintain vigilance through routine monitoring.”
Screwworms are identified to contaminate livestock, wildlife, and, in uncommon circumstances, people. Screwworm fly maggots burrow into the pores and skin of dwelling animals and may generally inflict critical or deadly injury.
The CDC acknowledged on its web site that individuals who journey to South America and the Caribbean with an open wound are at greater danger of changing into infested.
Indicators and signs of screwworm infestations embody irritated conduct, head shaking, a decaying odor, and the presence of maggots, or fly larvae, in wounds, in accordance to the U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA).
“NWS infestations are very painful. If you have an NWS infestation, you may see maggots (larvae) around or in an open wound. They could also be in your nose, eyes, or mouth,” the CDC acknowledged on its web site.
“Wounds as small as a tick bite may attract a female fly to feed and lay her eggs. One female can lay 200–300 eggs at a time and may lay up to 3,000 eggs during her 10- to 30-day lifespan.”
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins traveled to Texas on Aug. 15 to unveil the division’s five-pronged plan to stop the unfold of the New World screwworm from Mexico.
These measures embody constructing a sterile fly manufacturing facility in Texas, hiring patrol officers generally known as “Tick Riders,” and coaching detector canine to hint screwworm infestations in livestock and different animals on the border, in response to the USDA assertion.
“We have assessed the information on the ground in Mexico and have determined we must construct an additional sterile fly production facility in the United States to stop the northward advancement of this terrible pest that is threatening American cattle production,” Rollins mentioned.
U.S. well being officers haven’t detected any new circumstances of the screwworm in animals in america since a small outbreak in Key deer in Florida was eradicated in early 2017, in response to the Florida Division of Agriculture and Client Providers.
The USDA acknowledged that inspections of animals and carcasses at slaughterhouses are performed to make sure the protection of the meals provide.
Screwworm is endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and South American nations. Lately, circumstances have unfold to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Mexico, in accordance to the USDA.
In Could, the U.S. authorities halted imports of dwell cattle, horses, and bison throughout the southern border with Mexico due to the northward unfold of the pest. The USDA acknowledged that the parasite poses dangers to the nation’s ranching neighborhood, meals provide, and nationwide safety.
Reuters contributed to this report.
If you happen to discovered this text fascinating, please take into account supporting conventional journalism
Our first version was printed 25 years in the past from a basement in Atlanta. At the moment, The Epoch Instances brings fact-based, award-winning journalism to hundreds of thousands of People.
Our journalists have been threatened, arrested, and assaulted, however our dedication to unbiased journalism has by no means wavered. This yr marks our twenty fifth yr of unbiased reporting, free from company and political affect.
That’s why you’re invited to a limited-time introductory supply — simply $1 per week — so you possibly can be part of hundreds of thousands already celebrating unbiased information.
