Overview

• HHS and the CDC confirmed on Aug. 4 that a Maryland resident who returned from El Salvador had New World screwworm myiasis, the first such travel-associated case identified in the U.S.
• Maryland health officials report the patient has recovered with no evidence of spread to people or animals, and USDA says this single case poses no risk to agriculture.
• USDA is investing $750 million in a sterile-fly production plant at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, targeting output of about 300 million sterile flies per week with opening expected in roughly 18 months.
• Containment steps include ongoing aerial releases of sterile flies, heightened surveillance at the southern border, inspections by mounted "tick riders," and a phased reopening of livestock ports after import suspensions.
• Outbreaks have moved north through Central America into Mexico since 2023, with U.S. diplomatic reports citing more than 120 human cases in Nicaragua over the past year and USDA warnings that U.S. livestock losses could threaten around $100 billion in economic activity.