Human Screwworm Case in Belize Sparks Urgent Health Response

On Monday, Belize confirmed its first human case of New World Screwworm. Tonight, a second case has been confirmed. The Ministry of Health and Wellness says that a sixty-year-old man from Camalote Village is being treated for an injury to the leg that is infected with the New World Screwworm. Samples from the patients were sent to the Belize Agricultural Health Authority from the Western Regional Hospital for testing. BAHA confirmed the case late this afternoon and now health personnel are on the ground in Camalote collecting data.   This is similar to the first case where a twenty-one-year-old man from Benque Viejo, showed up at the San Ignacio Community Hospital with a wound that turned out to be infested with screwworm larvae. Now, health officials are working quickly to figure out where he may have picked up the infection. The Ministry of Health and Wellness, along with the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, is tracing his steps and collecting data to pinpoint the source. Chief Vector Control Officer Kim Bautista says the diagnosis was confirmed the same day the samples were taken, and the patient is responding well to treatment with ivermectin and antibiotics. Bautista also explained that the ministry has rolled out surveillance protocols and is urging the public to take wound care seriously, especially since the parasite can infect both animals and humans.

 

Kim Bautista, Chief Vector Control Officer, Ministry of Health

“The standard response would be we collaborate with BAHA and others and they are also part of the whole one health framework that we have in country and collaborate with various sectors on zoonotic diseases. And, this falls into that category because it can both affect animals and humans. So the standard response would be to have a joint investigation whereby from a public health and animal perspective you would look at the potential place of employment and residence to see if there are other animals out there that would have wounds, because the flies may be coming from infected animals, or it may be livestock or pets or it could be coming from wildlife within the forest. So that would have to be established looking at his work history, his travel patterns and different factors that may have exposed him to this.”

 

This case marks a serious development in the parasite’s spread, which has already affected hundreds of animals across the country.