The Department of Health and Human Services reported the first human case of New World Screwworm in the U.S.
The diagnosis was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control.
The disease appeared in a traveler who’d been returning to the U.S. from Central America, where the disease is already present.
State veterinarians learned of the human case during a call last week with the CDC.
Oklahoma State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall says the patient lives in Maryland, where officials said they’re confident it is contained.
Dr. Hall added that he believes the U.S. is probably more likely to get it in a person or pet than in livestock, at least in the short term.
South Dakota State Veterinarian Beth Thompson was quoted in a Reuters article as saying that when NWS was confirmed in Maryland, the CDC worked with local physicians to identify the larvae.
No livestock movement restrictions are in place.
