The return of the New World screwworm — a flesh-eating parasite eradicated from the U.S.in the 1960s — has raised fresh concerns about whether it could threaten the nation's food supply.Unlike other foodborne diseases like norovirus, Ecoli and Salmonella, which sicken millions of Americans every year, experts say the screwworm is not a threat to the food on our dinner tables."The US food supply is not compromised by New World screwworm, which is an animal issue, but not a foodborne pathogen issue," Dr.
Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, told Fox News Digital.MYSTERY PARASITE LEAVES AMERICANS BATTLING ‘EXPLOSIVE' ILLNESS AS CDC INVESTIGATES"While screwworm infestation is an infection of live animals, it does not result in meat, milk or produce becoming contaminated."Screwworms die off during standard meat, processing and cooking, according to Glatt.The return of the New World screwworm — a flesh-eating parasite eradicated from the U.S.in the 1960s — has raised fresh concerns about whether it could threaten the nation's food supply.
(iStock)While native to South America and the Caribbean, the screwworm migrated north through Central America and Mexico following a 2023 outbreak in Panama and Costa Rica, the CDC says.FLESH-EATING SCREWWORM FOUND IN TEXAS CALF AS RANCHERS BRACE FOR POSSIBLE SPREADOn June 3, health officials confirmed one case in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas – the first detection in the U.S.since it was eradicated in the 1960s (excluding a localized outbreak in deer in the Florida Keys from 2016 to 2017), per the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA).Since early June, the USDA has reported 33 screwworm infections in animals in Texas and New Mexico – including cattle, goats and a pet dog.The U.S.milk and food supply is routinely tested by regulatory agencies, according to Glatt."Animals used for human food production must pass inspection before and after slaughter to ensure tha...