The US has blocked imports of cows, horses and bison that have lived through tropical border ports following the revival in Mexico, a parasite that infects animals and threatens humans.
New World Screwworm Flies are carnivorous maggot infections that burrow into the skin of living animals, causing myopathy, which causes severe and often fatal damage, Reuters reported.
The fly was named using “its sharp mouth hook” to a wound whose maggot’s burrow, or that the screw opened using a “sharp mouse hook,” according to the Animal and Plant Health Testing Service.
The USDA recently announced that “Oaxaca and Veracruz have minimal cow movement, while northern cows have minimal cow movement, which was detected by announcing a Sunday ban.
New World Screwworms begin to revive in Central America
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Parasites can infect livestock, wildlife, birds and pets, and in rare cases humans say, the USDA says. He said the ban on affecting animals coming from Mexico will continue every month until threats are included.
The NWS was eradicated in the United States in the 1960s, Mexico in the 1970s, and in the early 2000s, much of Central America was eradicated.
However, new cases were reported in October 2024 in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras, the CDC said. It sparked concern that insects would spread north to the US.
The first case in southern Mexico was reported to the US in November, the USDA said.
The US and Mexico continue to work together to eradicate Mexico’s NWS, but “the progress north of the NWS is unacceptable and additional actions must be taken to slow the progress north of this deadly parasitic fly,” the USDA said.
What’s so dangerous about the NWS?
According to the CDC, NWS fly is the size of a typical housefly and gives birth to “open wounds and other open parts of the body.” Small wounds, like mites, can attract flies.
Eggs become hatched and become larvae or maggots. They dig holes in the wounds to eat live meat, the CDC says. This is different from most other types of maggots that eat meat that breaks down.
After they feed, the larvae fall to the ground and dig a hole there. According to the CDC, adult screwworms appear later when they fly.
As you can imagine, maggots dig holes in living creatures can be extremely painful.
The US suspends import of live animals due to carnivorous parasites
New World Screwworms have now brought the US to halt the import of all living animals from Mexico indefinitely. Females lay eggs on the open wounds of warm, bloody animals, and eggs hatch in a few hours.
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What are the symptoms of NWS infection in humans?
NWS intrusions are extremely painful, says the USDA. If there is an invasion, you may see a circumference or open wound, or maggots around or around the nose, eyes, or mouth. Symptoms include:
Describes skin lesions (hards or pain) that do not heal.
Skin scars or pain worsen over time.
painfainfainfainfainful skin wounds or pain.
Leaves from open saw.
sin skin wounds and pain, movement of larvae in the nose, mouth, or eyes.
I’m looking at maggots in warse or open pain.
Fest smells of dirt from the invading site.
Secondary bacterial infections can sometimes occur, causing fever and chills.
In animals, symptoms include:
Irritated behavior.
Shaking shaking.
Decaya collapses.
Proof of a fly strike.
Wound flies and depression.
What should I do if I get infected?
The CDC says that wounds and body parts need to be removed by a medical professional. Don’t try to delete it yourself.
Contributions from Greta Cross, John Bacon and Mike Snider
Source USA Today Network Report and Research. Reuters; Department of Agriculture; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This story has been updated to add new information.
