WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently identified an instance of a traveler-associated human case of New World screwworm (NWS) in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reaffirmed its robust surveillance and trapping strategy, confirming there have been no detections of NWS in U.S. livestock.

Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA, HHS, CDC, FDA and our other federal partners have led a robust government wide response to combat the New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico and prepare for all scenarios if it enters the United States. On Aug. 4, 2025, CDC, in coordination with the Maryland Department of Health, investigated a confirmed case of travel-associated NWS in a patient who returned from travel to El Salvador. As this is a human case, CDC is the lead response agency and is conducting an epidemiological assessment in coordination with local health authorities. Currently, the risk to public health in the United States from this case is very low. USDA initiated targeted surveillance for NWS within a 20-mile radius of the affected area, encompassing portions of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.