VNA reported that a case of the New World spike nail parasite infection (Cochliomyia hominivorax) was discovered in Maryland, USA, in a patient who had been from Guatemala. This is the first case of carnivorous goosebumps in the US since the outbreak in Central America and South Mexico late last year.
Southern Dakota state veterinarian Beth Thompson said she had been informed of the case last week. Another source quoted an email on August 20 from a leader of the Beef Alliance sent to livestock businesses as saying that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had confirmed the infection in Maryland. A Maryland official also confirmed the information.
The CDC did not proactively notify and had the state of Maryland release it, according to Ms. Thompson. The patient has been treated, while the state has implemented precautions. There is currently no response from the CDC and the Maryland Department of Health.
The case was discovered just over a week after US Secretary of Agriculture bro bro brook Rollins and federal officials announced plans to build a infertility fly production facility in Texas to deal with the epidemic.
Cochliomyia hominivorax is a parasitic moth, whose children lay eggs on the wounds of warm-blooded animals, including humans. When blooming, the parasitic worms will tear away the raw meat, which can be fatal if not treated. Infection in humans is rare but very dangerous.
email from Beef Alliance said that the goose infection in Maryland was confirmed on August 20, but did not provide details for security reasons. Control measures have been taken in the state. A livestock economist at Texas A&M University has been asked to prepare a report on the impact of stopping the import of cows from Mexico.
Analysts say that the infection in the US is likely to have a strong impact on the beef and livestock market, which is at a record price due to limited supply.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set infertility traps and deployed horse-drawn forces to patrol along the border, but has been criticized by some livestock farmers and market analysts for not taking faster action to promote increased infertility. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture of Mexico is building a $51 million infertile fly factory in the south of the country.
The New World's clove was wiped out from the US in the 1960s thanks to a campaign to release hundreds of millions of infertile male flies. The USDA estimates that a single outbreak could cause about $1.8 billion in damage to the state of Texas alone.
