First human screwworm case linked to travel confirmed in U.S., HHS says

The archetypal lawsuit of a New World Screwworm infestation successful a quality was confirmed successful the U.S., according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Travel-associated New World Screwworm was detected successful a diligent who returned to the U.S. from El Salvador, and was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention connected Aug. 4, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said successful a connection to CBS News connected Monday. 

The CDC investigated the lawsuit successful coordination with Maryland's wellness department.  

"This is the archetypal quality lawsuit of travel-associated New World screwworm myiasis (parasitic infestation of alert larvae) from an outbreak-affected state identified successful the United States," Nixon said, adding that the hazard to U.S. nationalist wellness is presently "very low."

What is New World Screwworm myiasis?

New World Screwworm myiasis is simply a parasitic infestation of alert larvae, oregon maggots, caused by New World Screwworm (NWS) parasitic flies, which provender connected unrecorded tissue, the CDC says. 

"When NWS alert larvae (maggots) burrow into the soma of a surviving animal, they origin serious, often deadly harm to the animal," the USDA says. "NWS tin infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and successful uncommon cases, people."

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says NWS flies laic eggs successful "open wounds oregon orifices of unrecorded insubstantial specified arsenic nostrils, eyes oregon mouth" — an infestation and achy condition, known as New World screwworm myiasis. 

"These eggs hatch into unsafe parasitic larvae, and the maggots burrow oregon screw into soma with crisp rima hooks," the parks section says. "Wounds tin go larger, and an infestation tin often origin serious, deadly harm oregon decease to the infected animal." 

An big New World screwworm alert (left) and a New World screwworm larvae (right). Denise Bonilla/USDA Agricultural Research Service via AP

It is usually recovered successful South America and the Caribbean. Those astatine higher hazard of suffering from the information see radical surviving successful agrarian areas successful places wherever NWS is endemic, and wherever livestock are raised, arsenic good arsenic radical with unfastened sores oregon wounds, and susceptible populations, the CDC says. 

There is nary medicine to dainty it, according to the agency.

Late past year, Texas officials posted an advisory for outdoor enthusiasts successful South Texas aft New World Screwworm was recovered successful a cattle successful the confederate Mexican authorities of Chiapas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said New World Screwworm had been making its mode further northbound done the Americas.

"As a protective measure, carnal wellness officials inquire those on the confederate Texas borderline to show wildlife, livestock and pets for objective signs of NWS and instantly study imaginable cases," the section said astatine the time. 

In June, the U.S. authorities released a argumentation initiative aimed astatine stopping the dispersed of New World screwworms successful unrecorded cattle and different carnal imports, including a program to physique an insect dispersal installation successful Texas.

The Associated Press and Li Cohen contributed to this report.

• El Salvador