993: New World Screwworm, States’ Preparedness Policies

SUMMER JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Thursday, September 18, 2025. I'm Summer Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

SHALINI NAIR: 

CDC and the Maryland Department of Health recently confirmed a travel-associated case of NWS in a patient who traveled back to the U.S. from a country that was experiencing an outbreak.

JOHNSON: 

NWS, or New World screwworm, is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on healthy tissue, leading to a parasitic infection called myiasis. Shalini Nair is ASTHO's senior analyst of infectious disease and breaks down some of the risks that public health officials need to be aware of.

NAIR: 

So, in humans, some of those symptoms may include things like unexplained skin wounds or lesions that worsen over time, bleeding from an open sore, the presence or feeling of maggots around or in open wounds, and a foul-smelling odor at the infestation site.

JOHNSON: 

Nair says the parasite can also have significant impact on wildlife populations.

NAIR: 

And in animals, a lot of those signs are very similar, but they may also include things like irritated behavior or head shaking, and animals might also stop eating suddenly or self-isolate.

JOHNSON: 

In suspected cases, providers should report to local or state health departments and state animal health officials.

NAIR: 

Most importantly, proper disposal of suspected NWS larvae are critical to preventing the spread of the parasite to the environment, so any maggots or larvae found in suspected cases should be placed into a leak-proof container filled with 70% ethanol, and providers should contact CDC for further specimen submission instructions.

JOHNSON: 

Nair says the risk of NWS to humans remains low, and cases cannot be transmitted from animal to human by consuming properly cooked meat or poultry products. For now, health officials should remain vigilant of those who may have been exposed while traveling to high-risk areas.

NAIR: 

Agencies are also encouraged to promote clinician awareness of NWS and coordinate with agricultural and animal health sectors as part of a One Health approach to strengthening disease surveillance and staying ahead of this threat.

JOHNSON: 

More information on the New World screwworm will be linked in the show notes.

NILZ: 

Preparedness works best when it's proactive and people-centered. States are demonstrating that investing in resilience ahead of time saves lives and money and it enables communities to recover more quickly.

JOHNSON: 

It's National Preparedness Month and ASTHO's Maggie Nilz outlines a recent ASTHO Health Policy Update on preparing for extreme weather events.

NILZ: 

We're seeing more frequent wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, and each of these directly impacts public health, whether it's from smoke, contaminated water, disruptions in medical care.

JOHNSON: 

Nilz says many states are making the move toward proactive policy preparedness.

NILZ: 

In Maine, there's going to be a new Office of Resilience, which will focus on giving local governments grants and loans to reinforce infrastructure before disasters strike. Texas has policies that's working on making sure that its grids are more resilient and can keep hospitals and essential services powered during major power outages.

JOHNSON: 

And many states are working to combine traditional measures with new, emerging tools.

NILZ: 

California is studying whether or not autonomous helicopters can safely fight fires, while Puerto Rico is turning to natural barriers like coral planting to protected coastlines. And by combining proven approaches with innovation, states are able to build resilience that's both modern and practical.

JOHNSON: 

If you want to see how other states are handling policy and preparedness, you can read that recent brief, just head to the show notes for a link.

Extreme weather events can pose serious public health threats, both in the moment and in the aftermath. For example, through dangerous contaminated waters, surveilling wastewater can help agencies catch disease outbreaks and get in front of it with proactive solutions. Your state agency has the opportunity to host a wastewater surveillance training workshop; ASTHO's looking for up to four states to participate in a two-day, in-person workshop that will train your providers in the process of ethical wastewater analysis, but you need to hurry. The deadline to apply is tomorrow, September 19. The link to apply is in the show notes.

Also today, the latest edition of DELPH magazine is out. DELPH stands for Developing Executive Leaders in Public Health. If you've ever wanted to learn more about that leadership development program, this edition of the magazine is a great place to start. This one has spotlights of the cohort five scholars and how the program built on their current agency work. It's on the ASTHO website. We put a link right to it in the show notes.

And on-deck next week, if you are a public health leader or you want to grow your leadership skills, make sure to sign up for this second session of the current Ignite, Accelerate, and Activate series. This one on improving emotional intelligence, and it will be held next Thursday, September 25 at 2 p.m. Eastern. There's a link to sign up in the show notes.

That'll do it for today. We're back to close out the week tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Summer Johnson, you're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.