Flesh Eating Parasite in the U.S. Could Come to Idaho

As summer ends and school weeks tick on by, concerns about getting sick will rise. The temperatures will soon drop, the wind will pick up, and cold and flu season will begin to take over classrooms, workplaces, and homes. While nobody wants to be sick, it is inevitable. It is one thing to get a bad cough, a sore throat, a running nose, or a fever, but there are other diseases that you may need to watch out for this year that are far worse. A flesh-eating parasite is now in the United States and could be making its way to Idaho soon. 

Flesh-eating Parasite in the United States

You hear about flesh-eating parasites from time to time in the news, but you never think you will get one. They typically are in other countries, on other continents, and it seems like the only way to get them is to travel to these places. A terrible flesh-eating parasite has made its way to the United States, as a person in Maryland was infected after traveling to El Salvador. New World screwworm is not common in the United States, and the threat of the disease spreading is low, but not impossible. The good news is that if anyone were to get it, it is not fatal so long as it is treated, but left untreated, the consequences would put the individual at serious health risk. What exactly is screwworm, and what should you look out for if it were to begin spreading? 

Flesh-Eating Parasite Screwworm

Screwworm is a type of fly and has been slowly moving north in South America. The female fly goes around and lays its eggs on a warm body, typically an animal. They usually do not infect humans, but as seen above, it can happen from time to time. The larva then works its way into the host and begins eating the skin from the inside out. If one were to get screwworm, it would be extremely painful. Typically, they will affect open wounds, but can also affect noses, eyes, and the mouth. Seeing how the animal they mostly go after is cattle, a case in Idaho would be significant, especially to farmers in the area. 

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The good news is that the case is known about and is being treated, and the hope is that it will not spread across the country. For more on the flesh-eating parasite, you can click the link in the second paragraph above. Hopefully, this will be the last the United States hears of this terrible parasite, but if it spreads, watch out.