The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed the first human case of New World screwworm in the United States this year. The case was detected in Maryland on August 4 in a patient who had recently returned from travel to El Salvador. “The risk to public health in the United States from this introduction is very low,” said HHS spokesman Andrew G. Nixon in a statement to media outlets. What is New World Screwworm? New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living flesh. The female fly lays eggs in open … Continue reading Flesh-Eating Screwworm Found in Maryland Traveler: Health Officials Say Michigan Risk ‘Very Low’