An expert from a California university has warned the public about a parasitic fly that can feed on humans, pets, birds, and livestock.
What's happening?
According to the L.A. Times, the New World screwworm is spreading north from South America and has made its way through Central America and Mexico over the last few years.
It can spread to new regions through the insect's own travel, or via an infested person or animal. It has already affected more than 100,000 animals and hundreds of people in Mexico.
A U.S. case was reported in Maryland in August from an infested person who had traveled from El Salvador. Although it didn't spread from this incident, cases in southern Mexico led to the suspension of cattle imports at the U.S. border in May.
Why is the New World screwworm concerning?
The fly can be "a devastating pest," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage," the USDA said. "NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, people."
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Even though the threat to humans is low, the people more at risk are those who live in rural areas, the very young and the elderly, immunocompromised people, and anyone with an open wound or sore.
"People have to be aware of it," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, per the L.A. Times.
"As the New World screwworm flies northward, they may start to see people at the borders — through the cattle industry — get them, too."
If the fly infestations become widespread in the U.S. cattle industry, it could have a severe impact on our supply chain and food prices, similar to the effects of bird flu.
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Wildfires 😷 Concerns include the risk of animal deaths, reduced livestock numbers, and a decrease in manure production. The USDA described the NWS as a threat to both food supply and national security.
What's being done about the New World screwworm?
The Latin name of the fly loosely translates to "maneater," given its tendency to feed on living tissue.
Scientists are already working on new technology to speed up the process of sterilizing the male flies with radiation to stop them from reproducing.
Meanwhile, the USDA is planning to build a "sterile-fly production facility" in Texas that would produce 300 million sterile flies a week, according to the L.A. Times. Sterile flies have been released in Central America and the south of Mexico.
You can prevent fly infestations by staying informed on local alerts and covering up wounds or sores.
Unfortunately, the New World screwworm isn't the only concerning insect. Rising global temperatures, exacerbated by human-caused pollution, are creating optimal conditions for an increase in vector-borne illnesses — such as dengue and West Nile virus, which are spread by mosquitoes.
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