US Begs Mexico to Halt March of Screwworm Parasites Across the Border
The US urges Mexico to curb a bizarre biological border breach: screwworm parasites threatening a cross-country crawl. Screwworms—yes, actual flesh-eating larvae—are now the unwelcome migrants prompting frantic international negotiations. Forget walls; we might need bug nets.
In a dramatic twist, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has suspended imports of live cattle, horses, and bison from Mexico due to the rapid spread of New World Screwworm (NWS). This parasitic fly, which lays flesh-eating larvae in warm-blooded animals, was recently detected in Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles from the U.S. border. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association supports the move, recalling the extensive efforts to eradicate NWS in the U.S. during the 1960s. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is deploying sterile fly releases to combat the spread in Southern Mexico and Central America. If not contained, the outbreak poses a significant threat to livestock, pets, wildlife, and potentially humans. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2025/05/11/screwworm-us-suspends-cattle-horse-bison-imports-mexico?utm_source=openai))
