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New World screwworm
August 31 , 2025
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- The first U.S. human case of New World screwworm was confirmed on August 4, 2025.
- New World screwworms are blue-grey blowflies scientifically known as Cochliomyia hominivorax.
- Female screwworms lay eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals, including humans.
- One female screwworm can lay up to 300 eggs at a time and up to 3,000 during her 10–30-day lifespan.
- The larvae feed on living tissue, causing painful infestations with a high risk of complications like sepsis if untreated.
- Symptoms include non-healing wounds, bleeding, foul smell, and a feeling of larvae movement in the skin.
- The U.S. eradicated screwworms in 1966 using the sterile insect technique.
- The recent outbreaks have occurred in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
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