Flesh-eating bugs that burrow into victims’ pores and skin unfold into second US state
A horrific, flesh-eating parasite has spread to New Mexico as experts fear the burrowing, maggot-laying bug will devastate US livestock and humans
A gruesome flesh-eating parasite that burrows into its victims’ skin has spread(Image: AP)
A gruesome flesh-eating parasite that burrows into its victims’ skin has spread to a second US state. The New World Screwworm (NWS) has now breached the Texas border and entered New Mexico, marking a terrifying escalation.
Agriculture officials confirmed the latest gruesome discovery was made in a dog in Lea County, New Mexico. It brings the total number of US cases to five, after four separate infestations were flagged in Texas over the last week.
The nightmare bugs work by laying hundreds of larvae into open wounds. Within just hours, the maggots hatch and literally begin eating the host’s living tissue from the inside out.
If left untreated, the horrific infestations cause deep, agonising wounds and severe infections that are often fatal.
While the current US cases have only been found in animals, including three young calves, the parasite is wreaking absolute havoc on humans further south.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a stomach-churning 2,100 human cases of NWS infestations as of June 8, following an explosion of cases across Mexico and Central America.
The United States Department of Agriculture said in a statement: “This situation is evolving, and we expect new information to emerge as our investigation continues.
“We are working closely with our partners in New Mexico, Texas, and across the region to ensure we identify, contain, and respond to any potential cases as swiftly as possible.”
The flesh-eating crisis began escalating last year when Mexican officials tracked cases in the southern states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz. The areas sit directly on the migrant caravan routes used by millions to cross into the US.
Experts now fear the airborne pest cannot be stopped at the border. Thanks to rising global temperatures, scientists warn the flies could completely overrun the American south within two decades.
By 2055, states along the Gulf Coast, including Texas, Florida and Louisiana, could see catastrophic livestock losses and human deaths.
The outbreak has sparked a political firestorm. Three Texas counties, Kinney, Jim Hogg and Uvalde, have already declared local states of disaster. Three more are on the verge of doing the same.
Desperate local leaders are now begging President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency to secure the cash and boots on the ground needed to stop the invasion.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement: “The protection of our ranchers, livestock producers, deer breeders, and the Texas economy from this pest is a top priority.
“We have eradicated this pest before, and we will do it again in close cooperation with our federal partners. Texans should stay alert, check animals daily for wounds, and report any suspected cases immediately.”
The US previously wiped out the screwworm in 1982 using a sci-fi style biological weapon, sterilising male flies with radioactive gamma rays so they couldn’t reproduce.
Before it was eradicated, the parasite cost the US livestock industry a staggering $200million – the equivalent of $1.8 billion today.
Screwworm red flags include unexplained, painful sores that won’t heal, foul odours, bleeding, or the horrific sensation of maggots moving inside wounds, or around the nose, mouth, eyes, and ears.
To stay safe, the CDC advises keeping even tiny cuts clean and covered, wearing loose long sleeves and hats, using heavy-duty bug spray and sleeping behind protective screens.
