What’s scarier than a horror movie? How about a parasite that literally eats flesh — and it’s just been confirmed in the US for the very first time.
Health officials say a patient returning from El Salvador tested positive for New World screwworm (NWS) myiasis.
A nasty infestation where fly larvae — yes, maggots — burrow into living tissue.
The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the case on 4 August.
It called it the first human travel-associated infection of its kind in the US.
Workers Watched In Fear
Experts insist the risk to public health remains “very low.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) teamed up with Maryland’s health department to investigate.
The USDA has mobilized alongside global partners to keep the pest from spreading.
Normally, NWS targets livestock in South America and the Caribbean.
But despite years of containment efforts, cases have crept through every Central American country, into Mexico — and now here.
“When NWS fly larvae burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage,” warns the USDA.
And the stakes aren’t just medical. A major outbreak in cattle or livestock could threaten more than $100 billion in economic activity.
The good news? For now, it’s a rare case. The bad news? Maggots that eat flesh don’t exactly stay out of nightmares.
