Could flesh-eating screwworms end up in your beef? USDA reveals risk level

The instrumentality of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite eradicated from the U.S. successful the 1960s, has raised caller concerns astir whether it could endanger the nation's nutrient supply.

Unlike different foodborne diseases similar norovirus, E. coli and salmonella, which sicken millions of Americans each year, experts accidental the screwworm is not a menace to the nutrient connected our meal tables.

"The U.S. nutrient proviso is not compromised by New World screwworm, which is an carnal issue, but not a foodborne pathogen issue," Dr. Aaron Glatt, main of infectious diseases astatine Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, told Fox News Digital.

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"While screwworm infestation is an corruption of unrecorded animals, it does not effect successful meat, beverage oregon nutrient becoming contaminated."

Screwworms dice during modular nutrient processing and cooking, according to Glatt.

The instrumentality of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite eradicated from the U.S. successful the 1960s, has raised caller concerns astir whether it could endanger the nation's nutrient supply. (iStock)

While autochthonal to South America and the Caribbean, the screwworm migrated northbound done Central America and Mexico aft a 2023 outbreak successful Panama and Costa Rica, the CDC says.

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On June 3, wellness officials confirmed 1 lawsuit successful a 3-week-old calf successful Zavala County, Texa, the archetypal detection successful the U.S. since it was eradicated successful the 1960s (excluding a localized outbreak successful cervid successful the Florida Keys from 2016 to 2017), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Since aboriginal June, the USDA has reported 33 screwworm infections successful animals successful Texas and New Mexico, including cattle, goats and a favored dog.

Safety measures

The U.S. beverage and nutrient proviso is routinely tested by regulatory agencies, according to Glatt.

"Animals utilized for quality nutrient accumulation indispensable walk inspection earlier and aft slaughter to guarantee that nutrient information and humane handling requirements are met," a USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

"An infestation oregon carnal unwellness that makes nutrient unsafe for consumers volition forestall the carnal from entering the nutrient supply."

On June 3, wellness officials confirmed 1 lawsuit of screwworm successful a three-week-old calf successful Zavala County, Texas. (iStock)

If an carnal astatine a slaughterhouse shows signs of illness, the nutrient inspection strategy overseen by the USDA isolates it from others and labels it a "U.S. Suspect," meaning it needs further introspection by a nationalist wellness veterinarian, per USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service regulations.

If an corruption is discovered anterior to the carnal reaching the slaughterhouse, a veterinarian volition dainty the carnal and disinfect the coiled to forestall worsening infection.

Any livestock infected with caller satellite screwworm are to beryllium quarantined until each wounds heal, according to the UDSA.

Methods of transmission

A screwworm is simply a fly, typically the size of a communal housefly oregon somewhat larger. It infects warm-blooded animals — usually livestock, wildlife and pets — and lone seldom whitethorn infect people, the CDC states.

An corruption starts erstwhile a pistillate alert lays eggs aft being attracted to the odor of a wound, but the opening tin beryllium arsenic tiny arsenic the size of a tick bite. One pistillate whitethorn laic up to 3,000 eggs during her lifespan (about 10 to 30 days), per the CDC.

The eggs hatch into maggots that "screw" into the coiled to feed. After astir a week, the maggots autumn to the ground, burrow successful the ungraded and morph into big screwworm flies.

"Animals utilized for quality nutrient accumulation indispensable walk inspection earlier and aft slaughter to guarantee that nutrient information and humane handling requirements are met," a USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. (fotojuwelier/Getty Images)

"It spreads lone erstwhile an NWS alert lays eggs successful a wound, not done meat, poultry oregon dairy products," the USDA spokesperson said.

"It’s besides important to enactment that radical bash not drawback screwworm from different people, and they bash not go infected by eating meat," Dr. Bobbi Pritt, prof and seat of laboratory medicine and pathology astatine the Mayo Clinic successful Rochester, Minnesota, told Fox News Digital.

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"Most radical surviving successful the U.S. are precise improbable to ever brushwood this parasite."

The alert thrives successful tropical and subtropical climates, portion colder temperatures assistance bounds its survival. Some researchers pass that clime warming could grow the areas wherever the insect tin past if it becomes established, though experts accidental the existent outbreak has been driven chiefly by its northward dispersed done Central America and Mexico.

Combating the spread

The USDA is combating existent U.S. outbreaks by deploying sterile antheral flies to mate with pistillate flies utilizing a method known arsenic the sterile insect technique, which helped eradicate the infestation successful the 1960s, per the USDA.

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Since pistillate screwworm flies mate lone erstwhile during their astir month-long lifespan, those that breed with sterile males nutrient nary viable offspring, causing the colonisation to gradually dice out.

If an corruption is discovered anterior to the carnal reaching the slaughterhouse, a veterinarian volition dainty the carnal and disinfect the coiled to forestall worsening infection. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In May 2025, the USDA announced a $21 cardinal concern to renovate a sterile screwworm alert accumulation installation successful confederate Mexico, with accumulation expected to statesman arsenic aboriginal arsenic summertime 2026.

The bureau besides plans to walk $750 cardinal connected a caller "fly factory" astatine Moore Air Base successful Edinburg, Texas, which is expected to unfastened by November 2027.

Symptoms, attraction and prevention

"In the uncommon cases of quality infection, the symptoms that should punctual idiosyncratic to question aesculapian attraction see a non-healing coiled with pain, redness and swelling that is getting worse, a sensation of question oregon crawling successful the coiled and disposable alert larvae successful the wound," Pritt told Fox News Digital.

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Maggots should not beryllium removed without aesculapian assistance due to the fact that attempting to bash truthful tin permission parts of the larvae down and worsen the infection, per the CDC.

To support against infection, the CDC recommends wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, hats and socks and utilizing EPA-registered insect repellent. (iStock)

If immoderate maggots autumn to the ground, they should not beryllium discarded successful the trash, arsenic this could dispersed the infestation. Instead, they should beryllium placed successful a leakproof instrumentality filled with intoxicant to termination them, and a doc should beryllium contacted to safely region the remaining maggots.

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To support against infection, the CDC recommends the pursuing steps.

• Keep immoderate unfastened wounds covered
• Limit vulnerability to tegument by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, hats and socks
• Use EPA-registered insect repellent
• Protect covering and cogwheel with products containing 0.5% permethrin
• Avoid sleeping outdoors oregon slumber successful tents with screens
• Sleep indoors with closed oregon screened windows