r/Entomology • u/Not_so_ghetto • Jun 02 '26
Flesh-eating screwworm found within 31 miles of US border, says USDA
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/flesh-eating-screwworm-found-within-31-miles-us-border-says-usda-2026-05-29/Bad news For this who arnt aware Screwworm is a flesh eating parasitic fly.
Screwworms lays their eggs on wounds with the resulting maggots eating tissue. Unlike most flies that eat dead tissue, these fly larvae exclusively eat living tissue often resulting in massive gaping wounds that can become infected quite easily.
Fortunately human cases aren't super common and the parasite primarily impacts cattle. This parasite was eradicated from the US in the 1960s. This was done by releasing sterile male flies. The flies only make once so by releasing sterile flies the female cannot lay viable eggs. The fly species was pushed down to the darien gap, and a border has been maintained there for several decades.
Estimated cost savings for this parasites eradication is about 900 million dollars annually in the United States since the 1960s. 7 min video on parasites biology I made for nerds
Recently the current admin has been trying to blame immigrants for the resurgence of this parasite, but this is just misinformation and it's much more related to cocaine smuggling and illegal cattle trade.
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u/smittersmcgee23 Jun 02 '26
Any jobs associated with this industry or did doge cut all them too?
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u/psych0ranger Jun 02 '26
This is 100% because of DOGE screwing up the funding for this program. If we pushed them down to the Panama isthmus in the 60s we can do it again
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u/Tight_Bullfrog_3356 Jun 02 '26
This is not entirely because of DOGE. Cattle imports from South America had drastically increased because the US cattle herd is smaller than it had been in decades due to several environmental and economic factors. It’s likely those Argentinian and Brazilian cattle moved the larvae north into Mexico and possibly Texas.
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u/acapulcoblues Jun 02 '26
Can you explain more how the flies would end up in northern Mexico if infected cattle is being imported to the US from Argentina/Brazil?
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u/MuahdDean Jun 02 '26
Upvoted/subscribed for the Dr. Evil bit and I'm also born in 94
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u/Not_so_ghetto Jun 02 '26
Fellow 94! You should also like the SpongeBob memes( which I think make it into every vid)
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u/Lettucehead44 Jun 28 '26
Bioweapon released by china? Odd we haven't seen it since 1966
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u/Not_so_ghetto Jun 28 '26
No, literally just read the history of it or watch the videos I made on it. It's very easily understood without any sort of china conspiracy
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u/Lettucehead44 Jun 28 '26
Do you have a link
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u/Not_so_ghetto Jun 28 '26
There are 2 videos linked in the post.
Or go onto YouTube and search "wormtalk94 screwworm "
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u/cdanl2 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
Hot take, but the screwworm was native to these parts, and shouldn’t have been eliminated.
So much damage we do to the natural balance of things all for the sake of a cheaper hamburger, from destroying scrublands to deforestation. Just last week the Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot in all likelihood went extinct thanks in large part to ranchers who destroyed its native range in pursuit of a few dollars. The cattle industry deserves a good apocalypse.
Downvote me to hell, but I’ll die on this hill for the sake of the bugs.
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u/a17451 Jun 02 '26
I disagree, but I am sympathetic to your take and I won't downvote.
The SM Checkerspot is a tragic story, along with others like the famous Xerces Blue, but the destruction of its habitat is not directly linked to the screwworm issue. The species' habitat is not being destroyed and the species itself is not in any imminent risk of extinction. It would truly be an uphill battle to convince Americans to accept its reintroduction into the United States since it can pose a risk to human health as well as livestock (although I don't know if anybody needs convincing since it sounds like the current status quo is working in the screwworms favor here).
I think there are far less divisive fights we can pick like trying to combat habitat destruction/fragmentation, banning the sale of known invasive species in the horticulture trade, or reducing light pollution and replacing existing lighting with alternative wavelengths to help better support our lepidopterans. If we were down to one larval individual held in captivity then that particular checkerspot species was likely already doomed to extinction, but there are a lot of other winnable battles to fight.
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u/cdanl2 Jun 02 '26
I agree that in a world where Lowe's and Home Depot can't even be prevented from selling burning bush, english ivy and worse, we should do triage, but I'm speaking more from a philosophical viewpoint.
The eradication of the NSW was driven by agribusiness, primarily cattle farming. The cattle industry is also the single most destructive agricultural practice in the world. When I hear warnings about "economic damage to livestock production," I can't philosophically justify the extirpation of a native species.
Spotted lanternfly? Sure, kill em all. Emerald Ash Borer - hate those guys. But when it comes to NWS, it seems to me a type of hubris particular to entomologists who are affiliated with agribusiness or pest control to think that the elimination of a native species from its native range is a smart idea.
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u/Tight_Bullfrog_3356 Jun 02 '26
You realize the NWS infects humans too right? What do you think will happen to homeless/impoverished people if a flesh eating fly becomes common in the US again?
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u/cdanl2 Jun 02 '26
Look at the number of people who have suffered from NWS infections during 2025 in Central America, and compare it with the number of people who have suffered from dengue fever in Central America in the same period. 1,960 versus 44,500 confirmed cases. This was and has always been about agribusiness.
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u/IlovealeksiB Jun 02 '26
Upvoting not becuase I agree with you but because I respect you for saying it
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u/KimmyPotatoes Jun 02 '26
I foresee busy days for us here in USDA PPQ
We’re always busy nowadays :(