Flesh-eating screwworms feast on humans in Mexico; human cases top 500
Six deaths reported among screwworm cases, one directly attributed to the flies.
Six deaths reported among screwworm cases, one directly attributed to the flies.
The short version
- Since the flesh-eating screwworm fly reinvaded Mexico in 2024, human cases of the voracious parasite have been mounting.
- According to a July surveillance report from Mexico’s Ministry of Health , there have been over 500 human cases in 2025 and 2026.
- A study this week in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases analyzed the information on over 200 confirmed cases reported between April 2025 and March 2026 and found that the infestation pace is increasing.
What happened
Among the 200 confirmed cases in the study, six deaths were reported. At least one of the deaths was directly caused by the fly’s maggots, researchers in Mexico reported in the study.
Why it matters
The New World screwworm (NWS) fly was once endemic in Mexico—as well as the US.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.