USA, rare human case of flesh-eating worm in Maryland

Infection confirmed in a patient arriving from El Salvador. Authorities: ‘Very low risk’

Washington – US health authorities have confirmed a rare human case of infection with New World screwworm, a parasite that devours living tissue in animals and humans. The patient, who arrived from El Salvador, was diagnosed on 4 August in Maryland and has now recovered. There are no other reported cases.

The risk and countermeasures

The Department of Health has stated that the risk to public health in the United States is ‘very low’, but the recent outbreak in Central America has reignited alarm. The Trump administration has already launched a plan to combat the parasite, which includes a new facility in Texas for the production of sterile flies to be released into the environment to prevent the parasite from reproducing.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no specific drug therapy: prevention and rapid removal of the larvae are essential. In animals, treatment consists of manual removal of the parasites and disinfection of the wounds.

A parasite already eradicated

The New World screw worm had been largely eradicated in the United States over the past 50 years, but cases linked to travel to tropical and subtropical regions remain possible. ‘It’s something we’ve defeated once and we’ll defeat it again,’ said Phillip Kaufman, director of entomology at Texas A&M University.

Alert for the livestock sector

Authorities are particularly concerned about the impact on the cattle industry, which is why the Department of Agriculture has allocated £6.5 million to the project in Texas. The American Veterinary Medical Association has called on veterinarians and farmers to closely monitor animals with open wounds, those giving birth or undergoing surgery, as these categories are most at risk of infestation.

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