WASHINGTON (DC News Now) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said a person in Maryland had the first human case of New World screwworm (NWS) in the United States after the person returned from El Salvador.

Put simply, NWS is a flesh-eating parasite. Although it normally does not occur or spread in the U.S., the attention the parasite and the case is receiving has many people looking for more information about it.

The Basics

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that New World screwworm (NWS) infestation occurs when NWS fly larvae (Cochliomyia hominivorax) take over the tissue or flesh of warm-blooded animals. In places where the flies are present, people can become infested.

The CDC says screwworm flies are attracted to and lay eggs on and

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