The first human case of the flesh-eating screwworm parasite has been detected in the United States, involving an individual in Maryland, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Aug. 25.
The person was infected with the New World screwworm parasite after returning to Maryland from El Salvador, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.
Nixon said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked with the Maryland Department of Health to investigate the case and confirmed the infection on Aug. 4 through 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 said….