US health authorities have reported the first case of a human infection in the United States with a dangerous flesh-eating parasite called New World Screwworm. The parasite is widespread in Central and South America.
The case was confirmed on August 4 and involves a citizen who returned from El Salvador, but according to some sources, he was in Guatemala. There is still disagreement about the source of the infection.
The parasite, called Screwworm, is a spider mite, the females of which lay eggs in the wounds of living creatures. The larvae that hatch from the eggs penetrate the tissues, causing severe damage that can be fatal if not treated in time.
The infection is rare in humans, but it poses a serious threat to livestock. At present, there have been no cases of animal infection in the United States. Still, the livestock industry is expressing grave concern, given the trends of the parasite’s spread north from Mexico.
Health authorities state that the risk to public health is very low at this time.
