CDC Responds To Multiple Health Threats As Parasite Cases Surge Across U.S.

Federal officials emphasize that no domestically acquired human cases have been reported and that the risk to the public remains very low, particularly when wounds are properly cleaned and protected.

The USDA eradicated the screwworm from the United States during the 1960s using sterile insect release programs, but the pest remained established in South America before steadily advancing north through Central America and Mexico.

By January 2026, officials reported more than 1,190 human cases and seven deaths across Central America and Mexico, along with hundreds of infected animals.