US confirms 1st human case of flesh-eating parasite

The US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) confirmed the country's first human case of a flesh-eating parasite.

The New World Screwworm (NWS), a species of parasitic fly, burrows into the tissue of living hosts with sharp mouth hooks, causing severe damage that can often be fatal.

An HHS spokesperson told ABC News on Monday the patient recently traveled to El Salvador, stressing the risk to the US public is very low, while Central America and Mexico continue to face livestock outbreaks of the parasite.

The United States Department of Agriculture said screwworm has not been found in US animals, noting it was largely eradicated decades ago by releasing sterilized male flies to collapse the population. But with its spread in nearby countries, "(NWS) is not only a threat to our ranching community -- but it is a threat to our food supply and our national security," the agency warned, outlining new measures to block its entry, including establishing a sterile fly production center in the state of Texas, deploying mounted patrol units to monitor wildlife crossings, and using detector dogs to screen imports at ports of entry.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, individuals who visit outbreak regions, come into contact with livestock, sleep outdoors and have open wounds face a higher risk of screwworm infestation.