Terrifying New World Screwworm that burrows into living flesh detected just 500 miles from US as experts warn rising temperatures mean NOTHING can stop invasion
A nightmare species of flesh-eating flies that devour victims from the inside out is racing towards America using the exact same route millions of migrants took to reach the US border.
The New World Screwworm – scientifically known as Cochliomyia hominivorax or ‘man-eater’ – lays up to 300 larvae in wounds of animals and humans, which hatch within hours and begin consuming living tissue with razor-sharp mouth hooks.
In a chilling development, officials in Mexico have discovered multiple cases in the southern states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz – all key stops on the migrant caravan route that over 1.2 million people used to cross illegally into America between 2021 and 2024.
The parasites are now just 500 miles from the southern border, with researchers warning there may be no way to stop them reaching the US within two decades as climate change creates perfect breeding conditions.
The ‘man-eater’ that kills in days
The horror begins when a female fly – metallic blue with bulging orange eyes – lands on any open wound, from a tiny tick bite to a scratch. Within hours, she deposits up to 300 eggs that hatch into maggots equipped with sharp mouth hooks.
Unlike ordinary maggots that feed on dead tissue, these nightmarish larvae burrow deep into living flesh, literally screwing through muscle and tissue like their namesake. The victim experiences excruciating pain as the maggots create gaping, infected wounds that emit a sickening odor.
Left untreated, a full-grown cow can be killed within one to two weeks. Humans face similar fates, with the parasites capable of burrowing into eye sockets, nasal passages, and even genitals.
Texas Tech veterinarian Jennifer Koziol warned: “It can have a huge impact, certainly an economic impact, because it decreases the health and wellness of our livestock. We’re thinking about loss of animal use, and certainly thinking about our wildlife populations that could be decimated by this disease.”
Human victims emerge in Mexico
The first human case emerged in April when a 77-year-old woman from Chiapas was infested with the flesh-eating maggots. Health officials managed to stabilize her condition with emergency antibiotics as larvae visibly crawled in her wounds.
A month later, a 50-year-old man in the same region fell victim after a dog bite created an open wound. Mexico’s health ministry confirmed he suffered from fever, intense pain, and larvae burrowing into his flesh.
These cases occurred in the exact region where migrant caravans gather before making their perilous journey north – creating what scientists fear is a perfect storm for the parasites to hitch rides on humans heading to America.
The Darién Gap connection
The screwworm’s northward march began at the Darién Gap in Panama – the same treacherous jungle crossing that became a superhighway for migrants heading to America.
For decades, the US and Panama maintained a “biological barrier” by dropping millions of sterilized male flies to prevent breeding. But that system collapsed in 2022, just as record numbers of migrants began crossing through.
“There are many challenges in this containment and eradication program,” Professor Phillip Kaufman of Texas A&M University told Newsweek. “If the flies move further north than the isthmus in southern Mexico, it becomes more and more challenging to contain them.”
Between 2021 and 2024, Panama recorded 1.2 million migrants crossing the Darién – many arriving with injuries from the brutal journey, creating ideal breeding grounds for the parasites.
Texas faces $1.8 billion catastrophe
Research indicates Texas, Florida, and Louisiana will see infestations by 2055 as temperatures rise. But the economic devastation could hit much sooner.
Texas alone is home to 14% of all US cattle. If screwworms establish themselves, beef and dairy prices would skyrocket as ranchers lose millions of animals. Food shortages could follow, with experts warning of steaks becoming “luxury items” only the wealthy can afford.
The last major outbreak in 1976 infected 1.4 million cattle and 332,000 sheep and goats. Today, that would cost Texas $1.8 billion – and that’s before counting human casualties.
“It’s going to get to a point where we’re not going to have enough cattle or people are not going to be able to afford to buy steaks or meat,” warned rancher Claudia Benitez.
Border shutdown fails to stop advance
The crisis has become so severe that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suspended all live cattle imports from Mexico in May, declaring: “The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover. This cannot happen again.”
But the flies don’t respect borders. Adult screwworms can travel miles seeking hosts, and with millions of animals and humans moving through the region, containment seems impossible.
The USDA is desperately retrofitting a Mexican facility to produce 100 million sterile flies weekly – doubling current production. But many fear it’s too little, too late.
The radioactive solution that saved America – once
The US first defeated screwworms in 1966 using an ingenious but desperate method: bombarding male flies with radioactive gamma rays to sterilize them, then dropping millions from planes over infested areas.
Since female flies mate only once, the sterile males prevented reproduction, eventually wiping out the species in North America. The program cost billions and took decades – resources that may not exist for a second invasion.
Should the screwworm continue moving north, having access to many more flies than the existing facility in Panama can produce will be important to protect U.S. agriculture,” a USDA spokesperson admitted.
Climate change: The game changer
Rising temperatures are creating ideal conditions for screwworms to thrive further north than ever before. What once would have been inhospitable winter weather now offers year-round breeding opportunities.
Scientists predict that by 2055, the entire Gulf Coast will provide perfect habitat for the parasites. But with current spread rates, they could arrive much sooner – possibly within years.
Additional movement of animals and humans has helped facilitate the expansion of the flies’ location,” Professor Sonja Swiger of Texas A&M AgriLife told reporters.
Warning signs to watch for
Veterinarians along the border are on high alert, watching for telltale signs:
- Wounds that won’t heal or emit foul odors
- Animals shaking their heads or showing extreme agitation
- Visible maggots in any wound on a living creature
- The distinctive smell of rotting flesh from infected areas
- Bloody discharge and expanding wound sites
For humans, any wound – even a mosquito bite – can become an entry point. Symptoms include intense pain, fever, and visible larvae movement under the skin.
The ticking time bomb
With cases now confirmed just 500 miles from Texas, ranchers are in panic mode. Many are desperately deworming cattle and treating every minor injury, knowing a single infected animal could doom their entire herd.
“We’re going to do our very best as an industry and as government officials working alongside us to make the outbreak stay wherever it’s found,” said Tracy Tomascik of the Texas Farm Bureau. “But the chances of the outbreak spreading out beyond South Texas are pretty high.”
As America watches nervously, one thing is clear: the same routes that brought millions of migrants north have now become highways for a parasitic horror that could devastate the nation’s food supply and threaten human lives.
The flesh-eating flies are coming. And this time, we might not be able to stop them.
