Flesh-eating parasite with ‘sharp mouth hooks’ found in US after decades

For the first time in more than a century, a human case of a flesh-eating parasite has been reported in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The patient, who had recently traveled to El Salvador, is in Maryland, HHS spokesperson Andrew G. Nixon told Reuters . The case is being investigated by the Maryland Department of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The agencies confirmed on Aug. 4 that the patient was infected with New World screwworm (NWS) adding, “The risk to public health in the United States from this introduction is very low.”

What is New World screwworm?

The fly larvae burrows into the flesh of living animals and can cause serious, often deadly, damage to the animal, according to the U.S. De