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The return of nan New World screwworm — a flesh-eating parasite eradicated from nan U.S. successful nan 1960s — has raised caller concerns astir whether it could frighten nan nation's nutrient supply.
Unlike different foodborne diseases for illustration norovirus, Ecoli and Salmonella, which sicken millions of Americans each year, experts opportunity nan screwworm is not a threat to nan nutrient connected our meal tables.
"The US nutrient supply is not compromised by New World screwworm, which is an animal issue, but not a foodborne pathogen issue," Dr. Aaron Glatt, main of infectious diseases astatine Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, told Fox News Digital.
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"While screwworm infestation is an infection of unrecorded animals, it does not consequence successful meat, beverage aliases nutrient becoming contaminated."
Screwworms dice disconnected during modular meat, processing and cooking, according to Glatt.
The return of nan New World screwworm — a flesh-eating parasite eradicated from nan U.S. successful nan 1960s — has raised caller concerns astir whether it could frighten nan nation's nutrient supply. (iStock)
While autochthonal to South America and nan Caribbean, nan screwworm migrated northbound done Central America and Mexico pursuing a 2023 outbreak successful Panama and Costa Rica, nan CDC says.
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On June 3, wellness officials confirmed 1 lawsuit successful a three-week-old calf successful Zavala County, Texas – nan first discovery successful nan U.S. since it was eradicated successful nan 1960s (excluding a localized outbreak successful cervid successful nan Florida Keys from 2016 to 2017), per nan U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Since early June, nan USDA has reported 33 screwworm infections successful animals successful Texas and New Mexico – including cattle, goats and a pet dog.
Safety measures
The U.S. beverage and food supply is routinely tested by regulatory agencies, according to Glatt.
"Animals utilized for quality nutrient accumulation must walk inspection earlier and aft bulldoze to guarantee that nutrient information and humane handling requirements are met," a USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
"An infestation aliases animal unwellness that makes nutrient unsafe for consumers will forestall nan animal from entering nan nutrient supply."
On June 3, wellness officials confirmed 1 lawsuit of screwworm successful a three-week-old calf successful Zavala County, Texas. (iStock)
If an animal astatine a slaughterhouse shows signs of illness, nan nutrient inspection strategy overseen by nan USDA isolates it from others and labels it a "US Suspect" – meaning it needs further introspection by a public health veterinarian, per USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service regulations.
If an infection is discovered anterior to nan animal reaching nan slaughterhouse, a veterinarian will dainty nan animal and disinfect nan coiled to forestall worsening infection.
Any livestock infected pinch caller world screwworm are to beryllium quarantined until each wounds heal, according to nan UDSA.
Methods of transmission
A screwworm is simply a alert – typically nan size of a communal housefly aliases somewhat larger. It infects warm-blooded animals – usually livestock, wildlife and pets – and only seldom whitethorn infect people, nan CDC states.
An infection starts erstwhile a female alert lays eggs aft being attracted to nan smell of a wound, but nan opening tin beryllium arsenic mini arsenic nan size of a tick bite. One female whitethorn laic up to 3,000 eggs during her lifespan (about 10 to 30 days), per nan CDC.
The eggs hatch into maggots that "screw" into nan coiled to feed. After astir a week, nan maggots autumn to nan ground, burrow successful nan ungraded and morph into big screwworm flies.
"Animals utilized for quality nutrient accumulation must walk inspection earlier and aft bulldoze to guarantee that nutrient information and humane handling requirements are met," a USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. (fotojuwelier / Getty Images)
"It spreads only erstwhile an NWS alert lays eggs successful a wound, not done meat, poultry aliases dairy products," nan USDA spokesperson said.
"It’s besides important to statement that group do not catch screwworm from different people, and they do not go infected by eating meat," Dr. Bobbi Pritt, professor and chair of laboratory medicine and pathology astatine Mayo Clinic successful Rochester, Minnesota, told Fox News Digital.
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"Most group surviving successful nan U.S. are very improbable to ever brushwood this parasite."
The alert thrives successful tropical and subtropical climates, while colder temperatures thief limit its survival. Some researchers pass that climate warming could grow nan areas wherever nan insect tin past if it becomes established, though experts opportunity nan existent outbreak has been driven chiefly by its northward dispersed done Central America and Mexico.
Combating nan spread
The USDA is combating existent U.S. outbreaks by deploying sterile antheral flies to mate pinch female flies utilizing a method known arsenic nan Sterile Insect Technique, which helped eliminate nan infestation successful nan 1960s, per nan USDA.
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Since female screwworm flies mate only erstwhile during their astir month-long lifespan, those that breed pinch sterile males nutrient nary viable offspring, causing nan organization to gradually dice out.
If an infection is discovered anterior to nan animal reaching nan slaughterhouse, a veterinarian will dainty nan animal and disinfect nan coiled to forestall worsening infection. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
In May 2025, nan USDA announced a $21 cardinal finance to renovate a sterile screwworm alert accumulation installation successful confederate Mexico, pinch accumulation expected to statesman arsenic early arsenic summertime 2026.
The agency besides plans to walk $750 cardinal connected a caller "fly factory" astatine Moore Air Base successful Edinburg, Texas, which is expected to unfastened by November 2027.
Symptoms, curen and prevention
"In nan uncommon cases of quality infection, nan symptoms that should punctual personification to activity aesculapian attraction see a non-healing coiled pinch pain, redness and swelling that is getting worse, a sensation of activity aliases crawling successful nan wound, and visible alert larvae successful nan wound," Pritt told Fox News Digital.
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Maggots should not beryllium removed without aesculapian assistance, arsenic attempting to do truthful tin time off parts of nan larvae down and worsen nan infection, per nan CDC.
To protect against infection, nan CDC recommends wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, hats and socks, and utilizing EPA-registered insect repellent. (iStock)
If immoderate maggots autumn to nan ground, they should not beryllium discarded successful nan trash, arsenic this could dispersed nan infestation. Instead, they should beryllium placed successful a leakproof instrumentality filled pinch intoxicant to termination them, and a doctor should beryllium contacted to safely region nan remaining maggots.
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To protect against infection, nan CDC recommends nan pursuing steps.
- Keep immoderate unfastened wounds covered
- Limit vulnerability to tegument by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, hats and socks
- Use EPA-registered insect repellent
- Protect clothing and cogwheel pinch products containing 0.5% permethrin
- Avoid sleeping outdoors aliases slumber successful tents pinch screens
- Sleep indoors pinch closed aliases screened windows
