A Flesh-Eating Parasite Nears the US Border
A deadly fly, once wiped out in North America, has resurfaced in northern Mexico, nearing the US border.
In September, Mexican authorities confirmed a case of a deadly flesh-eating parasite in Nuevo León, less than 70 miles from the Texas border.
The finding marks the northernmost detection of Cochliomyia hominivorax – the New World screwworm – in decades, and the closest it's been to the United States since its eradication over half a century ago.
The discovery has set off alarm bells among US ranchers and veterinarians, who still remember the devastation this flesh-eating insect once caused.
The screwworm, a metallic blue-grey blowfly, appears ordinary, but its larvae burrow into the flesh of living animals.
Author's Summary
A flesh-eating parasite is approaching the US border, causing concern among ranchers and veterinarians.