Flesh-eating New World Screwworm could pose health risks to cattle, humans

Flesh-eating New World Screwworm could pose health risks to cattle, humans

Mexico outbreak triggered USDA suspension of cattle imports

Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World Screwworm fly, or Screwworm for short, is a species of parasitic fly that is known for the way its larvae (maggots) eat animals' living tissue. (iStock)

A female fly lays eggs in a wound or orifice of a live, warm-blooded animal, per the above source. The eggs then hatch into larvae (maggots) that burrow into the flesh, causing potentially deadly damage. (Alamy)

The USDA estimates that livestock producers in the southwestern U.S. lost between $50 million and $100 million annually due to NWS in the 1950s and 1960s until it was successfully eradicated. (iStock)