#new-world-screwworm

#new-world-screwworm

According to the US Department of Agriculture, SENASICA reported that the infected animal- an 8-month-old cow-had recently been moved to a certified feedlot in Nuevo León from a region in southern Mexico with known active NWS cases. In addition to the proximity, the USDA highlighted that "Sabinas Hidalgo is located near the major highway from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, to Laredo, Texas, which is one of the most heavily trafficked commercial thoroughfares in the world."

On Sunday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the first human case of the flesh-eating New World screwworm (NWS) inside the United States, reported Reuters. The HHS's confirmation came weeks after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was said to have confirmed the same case of New World screwworm infestation. Fast Company reached out to HHS for comment.

The New World Screwworm (NWS) lays hundreds of larvae in the wounds of animals and people, which hatch within hours and consume the victim's tissue.