Flesh-eating screwworm detected 25 miles from U.S. border, USDA says
Summary
A parasitic fly called the New World screwworm was found in Mexico just 25 miles from the U.S. border, in Coahuila state near Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says this is the closest detection to the U.S. since last September, but the parasite is not currently present in the United States.Key Facts
- The New World screwworm feed on warm-blooded animals and people by laying eggs in open wounds or body openings.
- The fly was found in a 5-year-old goat in Coahuila, Mexico, near the Texas border.
- There have been 32 screwworm cases reported in Coahuila, with 19 still active.
- Across Mexico, over 26,000 cases have been identified, with more than 2,700 active now.
- The USDA monitors cases within 400 miles of the U.S. and says the risk to people and animals in the U.S. is very low.
- In 2024, the first human case of screwworm infestation in the U.S. was reported in Maryland from a traveler returning from El Salvador.
- The screwworm is mostly found in South America and the Caribbean but has moved north into Central America and Mexico recently.
- Texas officials have warned people since late 2024 due to the closer presence of the screwworm near the U.S. border.
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