First Human Screwworm Case in US Since 1982 Confirmed in Maryland

First Human Screwworm Case Confirmed in US Since 1982 Confirmed in Maryland

Published AUG 26 2025

First Human Screwworm Case in US Since 1982 Confirmed in Maryland

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Above: The Union Ganadera Chihuahua cattle import facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, in June, 2025. Image credit: Paul Ratje/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

The government's response shows they're taking this threat seriously with concrete action. Building a sterile fly facility in Texas demonstrates commitment to preventing an outbreak that could devastate the cattle industry. Theand the risk remains very low forto public health.

ABC News NBC

Officials weren't transparent about this case, leaving state veterinarians to find out through other channels rather than proper notification. The two-to-three-year timeline for the proposed facility seems too slow given the parasite's northward movement.

New York Post Daily Wire

Metaculus Prediction

There is a 5% chance that by five years after AGI, an engineered pandemic will have infected one billion people, according to the Metaculus prediction community.