Tonight a 21 year old man from Benque Viejo is in the San Ignacio Community Hospital being treated for a New World Screwworm infestation. That's right, the deadly pest - which started out in cattle - has now been detected in a human - a first for Belize.
We spoke to BAHA'S Deputy Director of Animal Health about the case via Zoom this afternoon. He says it was really only a matter of time:
Salustino Pech, Deputy Director - Animal Health - BAHA
"The fly. Well, it doesn't matter if it's a dog, if it's a cat, a horse, a cow, a pig, anything that is warm blooded, then it's at risk. Unfortunately, humans, we are warm blooded as well. So with the amount of cases that we're getting here in Belize now, it was just a matter of time before we had our first human case. Well, we are the last country in the region to have a confirmed case."
"The information I have, well, is that at this, at the San Ignacio hospital we were called, we, as in BAHA, because they had extracted some larva, some worms from a person's wound. So they needed the identification of the worm."
"Then entomologist was able, though, to confirm that it was, unfortunately screwworm."
"I can say that the flies all over more now, anywhere the person probably was. Then there's the risk. And that's the risk that all warm blooded animals are at here in Cayo."
Jules Vasquez
"What should humans do to protect themselves?"
Salustino Pech, Deputy Director - Animal Health - BAHA
"As humans, what we can do as pet owners as well is that they need to be checking their animals on a regular basis. Talking a bit about the life cycle, you know, if there is a wound, if there's a mucous membrane, then the fly is going to come and deposit the eggs."
"And in 12 hours, we're going to be having some worms there. So that could happen in the morning. And by night time you're going to be finding some worms there."
"Any kind of wound that is present, you treat it, that you put put medication. Ideally, if there is worms, you want hand insecticide. You want something that promotes healing or disinfectant and as well a repellent."
"This screwworm, it's twice the normal size of a housefly. And it's only going to go where it's, there is fresh blood."
Jules Vasquez
"Now, I know that there has been one loss of life. I read in Costa Rica, I think, related to screwworm infection. What is the risk to human life and, human health in the case of a school, infection?"
Salustino Pech, Deputy Director - Animal Health - BAHA
"Main risk, Jules, is that if there is a high amount of a fly around, then the probability is higher for any kind of one to be exposed to to the, to the larva, meaning that any at any point a fly can come and deposit the eggs."
"So yes, it is life threatening. So this is something that needs to be taken serious."
