U.S. health authorities have confirmed the first human case of screw-worm larvae linked to international travel, with the infected individual returning from El Salvador. The risk to public health is deemed “very low.”
Human case of screw-worm larvae identified
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported to CBS News that the first confirmed case of screw-worm larvae in a human, associated with international travel, was detected. The case involves a person who had recently returned from El Salvador. The larvae were confirmed on August 4. Health officials emphasize the public health risk is “very low.”
“They feed on living tissue”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), screw-worm infestations primarily affect livestock but can also occur in humans. The larvae are most common in South America and the Caribbean, particularly threatening individuals who spend time around livestock and have open wounds. Female flies lay eggs on wounds, which hatch into larvae that burrow into the tissue to feed. After feeding, the larvae fall to the ground, burrow into it, and emerge as adult flies.
The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service highlights that larvae “burrow into wounds, feeding on them like a screw being driven into wood.” They cause extensive tissue damage using sharp oral hooks. The wound can enlarge and deepen as additional larvae emerge and feed on living tissue.
Treatment methods
Experts advise that if you detect or sense larvae in a wound or another part of your body, you should “immediately contact a doctor.” Surgical removal may be necessary. Do not attempt to remove or dispose of larvae on your own.
Source: Gazeta, Department of Health and Human Services in the U.S., U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
