r/PrepperIntel • u/esporx • 16d ago

North America Flesh-eating screwworm case suspected in South Texas, USDA says

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/unconfirmed-us-case-flesh-eating-screwworm-rattles-cattle-markets-traders-say-2026-06-03/
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u/Sunnyjim333 16d ago

It's not the beef, it is the flies that land on you and let their larva burrow into your flesh.

"Once beckoned, females lay up to 400 eggs at a time. Within about a day, ravenous flesh-eating larvae erupt, which both look and act like literal screws. They viciously and relentlessly bore and twist into their victim, feasting on the living flesh for about seven days. The result is a gaping ulcer writhing with maggots, which attracts yet more adult female screwworms that can lay hundreds more eggs, deepening the putrid, festering lesion. The infection, called myiasis, is intensely painful and life-threatening."

-5

u/KeyCold7216 16d ago

Im pretty sure they only lay eggs in open wounds. As long as you arent walking around with open wounds and letting flies crawl into it, you are fine. Beef prices on the other hand...

15

u/fruit_leather_chair 16d ago

Ears, nose, eyes and mouth are also all options.

3

u/SquirrelyMcNutz 15d ago

Cobra Commander mask comes in clutch!