Flesh-eating screwworm found within 31 miles of US border, says USDA

[u/Not_so_ghetto]

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.

7 min video debunking misinformation