Washington, D.C. – Health officials have confirmed a rare case of flesh-eating screwworm in a Maryland resident who had recently returned from international travel, triggering precautionary surveillance across the Mid-Atlantic region.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the case was confirmed on Aug. 4 after the patient returned from El Salvador. The Maryland Department of Health is working with CDC in an epidemiological review. Officials stressed that the risk to the public remains low.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it has expanded trapping efforts within a 20-mile radius of the affected area, covering parts of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. All tests so far have been negative for the parasite in livestock and wildlife. USDA emphasized that no cases have been detected in U.S. animals since the last outbreak in the Florida Keys in 2017, which was successfully eradicated.
The flesh-eating screwworm, formally known as the New World screwworm, is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living tissue. While human cases are rare, traveler-associated infections have appeared in the U.S. before. Officials said none of those cases have ever spread into the domestic livestock population.
In June, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins introduced a five-part strategy to bolster defenses against the pest, including expanded sterile fly production, additional surveillance along the U.S.–Mexico border, and international cooperation to slow northward migration of the parasite.
Federal and state agencies said they will continue precautionary monitoring in the Mid-Atlantic, emphasizing that while the discovery is unusual, there is no evidence of wider spread.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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