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16h ago

First U.S. Human Case of New World Screwworm Confirmed in Maryland

The confirmation has intensified scrutiny of federal communication to state animal health officials.

Larvae of the screwworm fly, collected from infected cows, are observed at the COPEG sterile fly production plant, which fights the spread of the cattle screwworm, in Pacora, Panama, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun/File Photo
Left; a New World screwworm; right, cattle are detained at the Jeronimo-Santa Teresa border crossing in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in November as the U.S. suspended imports of Mexican cattle due to threats from the presence of screwworm. Photos: John Kucharski/USDA; Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images
screwworm
What is Flesh-eating Screwworm Parasite Detected in the US For the First Time

Overview

  • The patient had recently traveled from Guatemala, received treatment in Maryland, and state officials implemented prevention measures with further details limited by privacy laws.
  • State veterinarians learned of the case on a CDC call, and South Dakota’s state veterinarian criticized the agency’s lack of transparency about the confirmation.
  • Industry emails on Aug. 20 said CDC had confirmed the human infection, and stakeholders sought to limit leaks given potential market sensitivity.
  • USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced plans for a sterile-fly facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, as current capacity from the Panama plant (about 100 million flies per week) falls far short of USDA estimates of 500 million needed.
  • With beef prices at records and the U.S. herd at a seven-decade low, analysts warn a wider U.S. outbreak could jolt futures, and USDA estimates a Texas outbreak could cost about $1.8 billion.