The U.S. has confirmed the first case of a flesh-eating parasite in a human, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Monday.
New World screwworm (NWS) is a species of parasitic flies that feed on live tissue. The name refers to the way in which maggots screw themselves into the tissue of animals with their sharp mouth hooks, causing extensive damage and often leading to death.
The patient returned from travel to El Salvador, an HHS spokesperson told ABC News in a statement.
The risk to the public in the U.S. is very low, they added.
The patient — a Maryland resident — has since recovered from the infection and there was no evidence of further spread, the state’s health department said in a statement.
Countries in Central America and Mexico have been dealing with an outbreak of the parasite among livestock.
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Author: Joe Weber
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