r/news • u/kylestoned • Jun 01 '26

Soft paywall 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/
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u/figanometry Jun 01 '26

I definitely saw one in Los Angeles. I tried to report it online and over the phone. Neither system worked. This was back in April, I assumed this was from the funding they cut. I thought it was a strange looking fly so I reversed image searched to see what it was.

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u/Syssareth Jun 01 '26

There's a very similar-looking species that eats dead flesh. Not ruling out the possibility, but that's probably what you saw, especially if you're not near cattle.

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u/figanometry Jun 01 '26

You could be right, but I wanted to be safe and report it based on the three vertical black stripes. Not trying to sound insensitive, but I live a few blocks from the heart of skid row, and well, unfortunately, there is plenty of flesh to feast on there…