Flesh-eating parasite threatens US livestock, humans | JQJO

A flesh-eating parasite, the New World screwworm fly, is migrating north from South America and poses a threat to the US. Detected less than 400 miles from the Texas border, this parasite infests livestock and can also affect humans, causing painful sores and lesions. The only effective method to control the infestation is releasing millions of sterilized male flies to prevent reproduction, a technique successfully used in the 1960s to eradicate the pest in the US. However, experts warn of insufficient sterile fly production to combat the impending invasion, expected within four months.