Maryland health authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating a travel-associated infection in a person who recently arrived from El Salvador, according to a Department of Health and Human Services spokesman cited by The Washington Post on Monday, Aug. 25.
Officials said the diagnosis was confirmed earlier this month and emphasized there is no sign the organism is spreading locally.
The parasite, known as the New World screwworm, is a fly whose larvae infest open wounds and feed on living tissue, causing a condition called myiasis. While it primarily targets livestock, people can also be affected.
The CDC describes infections as very painful, with symptoms that may include worsening, non-healing sores; bleeding; a foul odor; the sensation of movement; and visible maggots in wounds or, in rare cases, the nose, eyes, or mouth.
The species does not regularly occur in the United States and is typically found in South America and the Caribbean.
However, a regional outbreak has been moving north. In an update posted on Wednesday, Aug. 20, the US Department of Agriculture reported that Panama's detections surged from an average of 25 cases a year to over 6,500 in 2023, with the outbreak spreading into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Mexico.
Risk is higher for travelers in affected areas who have open wounds, sleep outdoors, or spend time around livestock.
Prevention includes avoiding insect bites, keeping wounds clean and covered, wearing long sleeves and pants, using EPA-registered repellents, treating clothing with permethrin products, and sleeping indoors or in screened rooms.
Anyone who sees or feels larvae in a wound should seek immediate medical care; removal should be done by clinicians and may require surgery. Suspected cases should be reported to local health departments.
Officials say the public's risk in the United States remains low.
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