First Human Case Of Flesh-eating Screwworm Parasite Detected In The U.s.

The first quality lawsuit of nan flesh-eating parasite new world screwworm has been detected successful nan United States, nan Department of Health and Human Services said early Monday.

The case, related to a personification who had precocious traveled to El Salvador, was confirmed to beryllium screwworm by nan CDC connected Aug. 4, HHS spokesperson Andrew G. Nixon confirmed to Reuters, who first reported nan story.

"The consequence to nationalist wellness successful nan United States from this preamble is very low," he said.

Reuters reported past week, citing U.S. beef manufacture sources, that a personification successful Maryland contracted nan parasite aft visiting Guatemala — it's unclear whether that study concerns nan aforesaid case.

NBC News has contacted nan DHH and authorities successful Maryland but had not received a consequence by nan clip of publication.

The parasite — nan larvae of nan caller world screwworm alert — tin devastate cattle herds and is rife successful parts of Central America, including Mexico. It tin destruct wildlife and moreover termination family pets.

There were superior outbreaks successful nan 1980s and 1990s successful Central America and it was eradicated astatine awesome expense, only to return successful nan past 2 years.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins traveled to Texas to announce a five-part scheme to combat nan screwworm connected Aug. 15

This includes plans to breed billions of sterile flies and dump them from nan aerial complete confederate Texas and Mexico successful nan dream of stopping nan parasite's spread.

The sterilized antheral flies mate pinch females, but nan eggs don't hatch. Eventually, nan organization reduces and dies out. This method worked successful nan 1960s erstwhile nan U.S. suffered its past screwworm outbreak.

And nan national authorities whitethorn look calls to accelerate its activity connected this: When first announced successful June, nan sterilization scheme wasn't owed to beryllium operational for "two to 3 years."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, commenting connected nan national authorities scheme, said nan authorities agriculture industry, pinch its 2 cardinal jobs, was worthy $867 billion. "All of this is astatine consequence because of nan New World screwworm."

A study from nan USDA past twelvemonth estimated an outbreak of screwworm could costs Texas astatine slightest $1.8 cardinal owed to livestock deaths, labour costs and medication.

The small parasitic flies — besides known arsenic cochliomyia hominivorax — person an effect that's immense and devastating, but successful isolation rather disgusting. The females tin laic eggs successful immoderate warm-blooded animal, which past hatch unleashing hundreds of screwworm larvae, alleged because of their crisp mouths and their burrowing being compared to nan mobility of a screw.

Human infections tin beryllium fatal but are uncommon and astir cases tin beryllium treated.

The USDA has said that screwworms person been making their measurement northbound into Mexico from different parts of Central America. The alert is endemic successful Cuba, Haiti, nan Dominican Republic and immoderate South South American nations it said.

Mexico reported a case successful Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz, successful July, 370 miles from nan Texas border, prompting DHH to instantly unopen down cross-border cattle trade, pursuing akin stops successful November and May.