health
US braces for arrival of flesh-eating maggots across southern border
Federal and state governments are preparing a major response to a dangerous flesh-eating, parasitic fly present in Mexico as it inches closer to the U.S. southern border.
TL;DR
- The New World screwworm (NWS) fly has been found 70 miles south of the U.S. border in Mexico.
- The NWS lays eggs in warm-blooded animals or people's open wounds, with larvae burrowing into and feeding on living tissue.
- The U.S. is preparing a major response, including a new sterile fly production site to help eradicate the pest.
- The fly poses a direct threat to livestock, rural economies, and the U.S. food supply chain.
- The NWS was previously eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s through the release of sterile male flies.
- The species has spread from South America through Central America and Mexico since 2023, resulting in over 144,000 animal cases and 1,100 human infections.
- Potential economic losses for Texas alone are estimated at $732 million annually for livestock producers and up to $1.8 billion to the state economy.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection is involved in guarding against the maggots at ports of entry.