A case of ‘screwworm’ infection, a flesh-eating parasite, has been detected in Maryland, United States (US).
According to sources, the case involved an individual who visited the US from Guatemala and he is currently being treated in Maryland.
The case was also confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which is the first case this year involving ‘New World screwworm’ in the US.
Worryingly, the outbreak is now reported to be spreading rapidly north from Central America and southern Mexico.
The case was reported a week after the US Department of Agriculture was planning to build a sterile fly facility in Texas in an effort to address the pest issue.
Screwworm is an outbreak caused by parasitic flies that lay eggs in wounds of warm-blooded animals, after which hundreds of parasitic larvae will bite and eat the living flesh, killing the host animal.
Thus, this pest will affect livestock and wildlife but rarely infects humans. If infected, it can be fatal due to the complicated treatment.
If detected early, it is possible to save the life by eliminating the infecting larvae and cleaning the wound.
