Flesh eating screwworm spreads on US mainland threatening livestock and wildlife

For the first time in more than 50 years, an infestation of the New World screwworm fly is spreading on the United States mainland, UPI reported. The flesh-eating parasite, known scientifically as Cochliomyia hominivorax, is putting livestock and other animals at risk. [1]

The parasite targets all warm-blooded animals, including deer, elk, waterfowl, and small game, according to UPI. Researchers from the Mississippi State University deer lab stated that the 11.5 million hunters in the United States could serve as an important line of defense by spotting and reporting cases in the field this fall. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Arizona confirmed a case of the parasite in an infected dog in Cochise County on October 27, 2026. Arizona became the third American state to report a case during the current outbreak after a veterinarian discovered the screwworm in a wound on the dog. [2]