Flesh-eating screwworm found just 25 miles from US border in Mexico

A dangerous parasite that eats warm-blooded animals alive has been detected just 25 miles from the U.S. border, sparkng urgent warnings from agricultural officials.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed Tuesday that the New World Screwworm was discovered in a five-year-old goat in Mexico’s Coahuila state. This marks the closest confirmed case to the U.S. border since the current outbreak began, escalating tensions for American cattle ranchers who have been tracking the flesh-eating fly's northward march for over a year, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

"There's no doubt that this is a very, very serious threat to our livestock," Rollins told reporters, following a Friday announcement that the parasite had also been found in a young sheep within 31 miles of the border.

Why the Screwworm is a Nightmare Scenario
Unlike typical blowflies that feed on dead tissue, screwworm flies lay their eggs in open wounds of living, warm-blooded animals—including livestock, wildlife, and occasionally humans. The larvae hatch and burrow into the living flesh, consuming the host from the inside out. If left untreated, the infestation is almost always fatal.

Potential Economic Fallout
The economic stakes of a U.S. invasion are massive. American livestock experts warn that a widespread outbreak could result in devastating consequences:

$1.8 Billion in Losses: Expected economic damage to Texas alone.

Skyrocketing Beef Prices: Shrinking cattle supplies would drive up grocery costs for consumers nationwide.

Massive Containment Costs: Mexico is currently rushing to recondition a sterile-fly bio-factory to mass-breed and release infertile male flies—a proven biological control method—to stop the parasite's advance before it crosses into the United States.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada