US - First human screwworm case traced to person in Maryland who returned to the U.S. from El Salvador - August 24, 2024

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/env...la-2025-08-24/

Exclusive: First human screwworm case in US traced to person in Maryland who traveled from Guatemala, sources say
By Cassandra Garrison and Tom Polansek
August 24, 20256:46 PM EDTUpdated 18 mins ago

• Summary

• Maryland case represents the first sign of screwworm in the U.S. since a 2023 outbreak began in Central America
• The presence of screwworm, which can devastate cattle herds, will likely rattle beef and livestock markets
• USDA criticized by cattle producers for failing to take timely measures to prevent screwworm from entering the U.S...

[sharon sanders]

Please see:

HHS Allows FDA Emergency Use of Animal Drugs to Combat New World Screwworm, Protect U.S. Food Supply (August 19, 2025)

[sharon sanders]

Please also see:

CDC - About New World Screwworm Myiasis

CDC - About New World Screwworm Myiasis


Our New World Screwworm tracking forum link

[Pathfinder]

First human screwworm case linked to travel confirmed in U.S., HHS says
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August 25, 2025 / 10:11 AM EDT / CBS News
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Travel-associated New World Screwworm was detected in a patient who returned to the U.S. from El Salvador, and was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 4, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement to CBS News on Monday.

The CDC investigated the case in coordination with Maryland's health department.

"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," Nixon said, adding that the risk to U.S. public health is currently "very low."
...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-world-screwworm-first-human-case-travel-confirmed-cdc-hhs/

[Pathfinder]

First human case of flesh-eating screwworm parasite confirmed in US

HHS told Reuters patient had returned from El Salvador but beef industry said person had traveled from Guatemala

Reuters
Mon 25 Aug 2025 10.32 EDT
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The case, investigated by the Maryland department of health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was confirmed by the CDC as New World screwworm on 4 August – and involved a patient who returned from travel to El Salvador, HHS spokesperson Andrew G Nixon said in an email to Reuters.

Earlier, Reuters reported that beef industry sources said last week that the CDC had confirmed a case of New World screwworm in a person in Maryland who had traveled to the US from Guatemala.

Nixon did not address the discrepancy on the source of the human case.
...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/new-world-screwworm-flesh-eating-parasite-case-us

[Pathfinder]

Statement

HHS and USDA Confirm Singular Traveler-Associated New World Screwworm Case; Precautionary and Proactive Surveillance Ongoing

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Published:
August 26, 2025


(Washington, D.C., August 26, 2025) – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently identified an instance of a traveler-associated human case of New World screwworm (NWS) in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reaffirmed its robust surveillance and trapping strategy, confirming there have been no detections of NWS in U.S. livestock.

Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA, HHS, CDC, FDA and our other federal partners have led a robust government wide response to combat the New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico and prepare for all scenarios if it enters the United States. On August 4, 2025, CDC, in coordination with the Maryland Department of Health, investigated a confirmed case of travel-associated NWS in a patient who returned from travel to El Salvador. As this is a human case, CDC is the lead response agency and is conducting an epidemiological assessment in coordination with local health authorities. Currently, the risk to public health in the United States from this case is very low. In support of CDC’s activities and out of an abundance of caution, USDA initiated targeted surveillance for NWS within a 20-mile radius of the affected area, encompassing portions of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. To date, all trap results have been negative for NWS. There have been no detections of NWS in the U.S. in livestock or other animals since the last outbreak of NWS in the Florida Keys was resolved in 2017. There have been previous instances of traveler-associated cases of NWS in the United States in years past. In all cases, these instances were isolated and designated as closed after precautionary targeted surveillance in the vicinity was negative. We may continue to see traveler-associated cases of NWS and USDA, in coordination with HHS and CDC, will conduct targeted surveillance to ensure there is no active spread of NWS in the United States. This is not cause for alarm as human risk is low and we have seen several isolated cases in recent years that have not resulted in livestock transmission.

In June 2025, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a comprehensive five-part plan to strengthen the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s efforts to detect, control, and eliminate New World screwworm, pushing the pest back from Mexico to the biological barrier in Eastern Panama. A key part of this plan is trapping along the U.S.–Mexico border to proactively monitor for the pest out of an abundance of caution and it includes building a domestic sterile fly production and dispersal facility to increase our readiness and response efforts. Public health and safety and our joint effort to combat the northward spread of NWS from Mexico into the United States is the top priority of USDA and HHS.

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https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/08/26/hhs-and-usda-confirm-singular-traveler-associated-new-world-screwworm-case-precautionary-and