(The Center Square) – Federal officials confirmed a human case of New World screwworm on Tuesday and said the government will be monitoring livestock in response to the threat.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Maryland Department of Health investigated a confirmed case of NWS in a patient who returned from El Salvador on Aug. 4, according to a joint release from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

CDC is the lead response agency for the human case. The agency is conducting an epidemiological assessment in coordination with local health officials.

Out of caution, USDA said it started targeted surveillance for NWS within a 20-mile radius of the affected area, including portions of the District of Columbia, Maryland

See Full Page