US Faces Comeback of Flesh-Eating Screwworm; Researchers Deploy Risk-Tracking Dashboard
The New World screwworm, a parasitic maggot that infests living tissue, has reentered the United States, with detections moving north from Texas toward New Mexico. California researchers and the San Diego Public Health Services built a dashboard that combines confirmed detections, environmental data, and media reports to generate county-level risk profiles, helping officials stay ahead. A historic 1950s eradication used sterile-insect releases; current efforts include sterile insects, pesticides, quarantines, and potentially GM male flies, alongside veterinary surveillance to protect livestock, wildlife, pets, and potentially people.