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6h ago

U.S. Confirms First Travel-Associated Human Screwworm Case in Maryland

Officials say the isolated case poses very low public-health risk.

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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
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Overview

  • HHS said the infection was confirmed by the CDC on August 4 in a patient who returned from El Salvador, with treatment provided in Maryland and state prevention measures implemented.
  • Industry emails and state veterinarians earlier described the traveler as coming from Guatemala, with limited public details due to privacy rules and criticism of CDC transparency.
  • The case is linked to a regional outbreak moving north from Central America into southern Mexico since 2023, while federal agencies report no animal detections in the United States this year.
  • Cattle producers warn of potential market shocks as screwworm endangers livestock, and the USDA estimates a Texas outbreak could cost about $1.8 billion.
  • Response efforts focus on sterile-fly releases and scaling production capacity, including a planned Texas facility and a $51 million plant in Mexico, as Panama’s plant produces about 100 million flies weekly versus the USDA’s 500 million target.