The patient had traveled to Central America, where an outbreak of myiasis, an infection by screwworm larvae, has been ravaging livestock. In early August, a case of myiasis, an infestation caused by the New World screwworm, was confirmed in a Maryland resident who returned from travel in El Salvador, according to U.S. health officials.
It is the first travel-associated case of myiasis in the United States related to a recent outbreak among cattle and humans in Mexico and Central America, said Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, in an emailed press statement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the case after experts reviewed images of the larvae on Aug. 4, Mr. Nixon said.
The Maryland resident has recovered from the infection, said David McCallister, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Health, in an emailed press statement. A state and federal investigation confirmed that no other individuals or animals were affected, and that the risk to public and animal health in Maryland from this introduction was very low, Mr. McCallister said. He added that the case was a timely reminder for health care providers and livestock owners to remain vigilant.