Live Coverage

New World Screwworm

A recent outbreak of the New World screwworm — a dangerous parasite whose larvae eat the living flesh of warm-blooded animals and humans — is spreading north through Central America and Mexico, prompting a massive emergency response involving the release of billions of sterile flies to halt its advance.

6 articles · Started 2026-06-13 · Last updated 2026-09-11

Sep 10, 2026 Flesh-Eating Maggots Are Now Eating Texas Horses

Flesh-Eating Maggots Are Now Eating Texas Horses

A working ranch horse in Presidio County, Texas, is now the first horse in the United States to be infected with the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating fly...
Jul 19, 2026 Explosive Diarrhea, Screwworms, and Gutted Election Security: Welcome to MAGA America

Explosive Diarrhea, Screwworms, and Gutted Election Security: Welcome to MAGA America

The United States is currently managing a five-state outbreak of a parasite that causes 'explosive' diarrhea, a record-breaking measles surge, flesh-eating...
Jul 12, 2026 Flesh-Eating Fly Is Back and We Only Have 1/5 the Sterile Bugs Needed to Stop It

Flesh-Eating Fly Is Back and We Only Have 1/5 the Sterile Bugs Needed to Stop It

A flesh-eating parasitic fly that burrows into living animals and eats them from the inside has now been detected in 34 animals across the United States, and...
Jun 14, 2026 Flesh-Eating Parasites Hit the US and Trump's Beef Problem Just Got Worse

Flesh-Eating Parasites Hit the US and Trump's Beef Problem Just Got Worse

A flesh-eating parasite that burrows into living animals and eats them from the inside has officially arrived in the United States. The timing, for a...
Jun 13, 2026 Flesh-Eating Parasite Found in NM Dog Gets Its Own Emergency FDA Authorization

Flesh-Eating Parasite Found in NM Dog Gets Its Own Emergency FDA Authorization

A flesh-eating parasite called the New World screwworm has turned up in a small dog in New Mexico, and the FDA just moved fast enough to actually impress...
Jun 13, 2026 A Flesh-Eating Parasite Is Heading for the US and Trump Fired the People Who Stop It

A Flesh-Eating Parasite Is Heading for the US and Trump Fired the People Who Stop It

A parasitic fly that lays eggs in living flesh — the larvae then eat the host from the inside out — is marching steadily northward through Central America...