By Abbey Canon
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially activated a Level 3 emergency response to New World screwworm (NWS) on June 11. Level 3 is the lowest level in CDC’s 3-level response structure.
CDC is supporting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in responding to the recent initial detections of New World Screwworm (NWS) infestations in animals in southern Texas and in one county of New Mexico. USDA has a dashboard showing where animal cases have occurred.
While NWS infestations primarily affect animals including livestock, companion animals, and wildlife, human infestations may occur. Currently, there are no reported human cases in the United States, and the risk to the public remains low. The risk of getting NWS is specific to people and animals in areas where NWS flies are circulating. NWS occurs when flies lay eggs in wounds or body openings in people or animals. NWS is a parasitic infestation and cannot spread from animal to animal, animal to people, or person to person.
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