Rare Flesh-Eating Parasite Infects U.S. Traveler In The Nation’s First

When most travelers pack their bags for a trip, they're focused on sightseeing, food, and making memories – not the possibility of returning home with a rare illness. Unfortunately for some, especially those traveling abroad, the risk is real.

Recently, the Maryland Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that a traveler returned to the United States infected with a flesh-eating parasite, and it's the first human case ever recorded in the country.

In this case, the traveler is believed to have contracted New World screwworms while in Central America, where the parasite has been spreading. Here's what officials know about the confirmed case in Maryland, what the CDC is doing to combat potential spread, and what travelers can do to prote