Flesh-eating screwworms feast on humans in Mexico; human cases top 500

Photo: Inside a specially designed release chamber, you see the pupae of sterile flies that have been coated with a non-toxic green, fluorescent dye. Photo credit: USDA Media by Lance Cheung via Flickr. Public Domain. Article by Beth Mole. Ars Technica – August 7, 2026.

Since the flesh-eating screwworm fly reinvaded Mexico in 2024, human cases of the voracious parasite have been mounting. According to a July surveillance report from Mexico’s Ministry of Health, there have been over 500 human cases in 2025 and 2026. A study this week in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases analyzed the information on over 200 confirmed cases reported between April 2025 and March 2026 and found that the infestation pace is increasing. […]

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Photo: Sterile fly ground release chamber – June 17, 2026. Photo credit: USDA Media by Lance Cheung via Flickr. Public Domain.

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