Warning Issued as Flesh-Eating Maggots Outbreak Nears US
Summary
The Trump administration has warned about a spreading outbreak of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae eat living flesh, detected close to the U.S.-Mexico border. The screwworm was eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s but has reappeared in Central America and Mexico in 2023. Officials are tracking it carefully to protect American agriculture, livestock, and wildlife.Key Facts
- New World screwworm larvae eat healthy flesh, causing severe harm to animals.
- The pest was eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s, saving the livestock industry about $900 million annually.
- The screwworm outbreak started in Panama and Costa Rica in 2023 and has spread through Central America into Mexico.
- Recent detections have moved within a few hundred miles of Texas, with claims of cases near the Texas border.
- U.S. officials, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, are monitoring the situation closely and providing public updates.
- Containment measures include releasing sterile male flies to prevent reproduction and restricting livestock imports from affected areas.
- Coordination with Mexican authorities and surveillance programs are in place to track and control the pest's spread.
- The threat is mainly from infected animals moving across regions, which can carry larvae and help the pest spread.
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