Flesh-Eating Parasite Only 30 Minutes Away From US

A flesh-eating parasite that US officials have tried to keep at bay just crept uncomfortably close to the border. KVUE reports that, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture, nearly a dozen news cases of New World screwworm fly were reported over the weekend in Mexico, including in a goatlike animal just 25 miles from the border with Texas. Meanwhile, citing the USDA, Reuters reports on a screwworm detected in a 6-month-old sheep in Mexico's Coahuila state, about 30 miles south of the United States.

The CDC notes that an infestation of screwworm maggots "can cause painful and foul-smelling wounds," and that if it's not discovered early enough and treated, "it can lead to extensive tissue damage, and potentially death." Patients shouldn't try to remove the maggots themselves, but seek immediately medical attention.

The finds mark the nearest known cases to the US amid the current outbreak and raise fresh concern for an already tight cattle market. The USDA estimates a screwworm incursion could inflict $1.8 billion in damage in the Lone Star State alone and further prompt record beef prices by shrinking calf supplies. The US government has blocked cattle imports from Mexico for more than a year, and the USDA is investing millions in facilities to release sterile flies to help squash the outbreak, though those operations aren't yet up and running.