Texas wildlife officials are on the lookout for a flesh-devouring fly larvae known as the “Man-eater” after cases of the sickening vermin were recorded in Mexico.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department issued a statement asking hunters and outdoor enthusiasts in South Texas to watch out for New World Screwworm fly, whose larvae are known to enter wounds and body cavities and eat victims alive.
on the flesh of its host animal.CDC
The warning comes after a cow at an inspection checkpoint in the Mexican state of Chiapas, near Guatemala, was found to have the flesh-earing larvae of the Screwworm fly.
This is part of a trend of cases being detected moving further north, according to Texas officials.
“Those who enjoy Texas’ natural resources have the opportunity to serve as the first line of defense to protect wildlife, livestock and human health,” TPWD Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. J Hunter said in the release. “Their eyes and ears will be critical to quickly responding to and managing this threat.”
The tarrying fly — whose Latin name, hominivorax translates to ‘man-eater’ — lays its eggs in open wounds or holes in living tissue, such as nostrils.
The maggots will then hatch and feast on the flesh of their host organism.
Targets for the man-eating Screwworm are primarily livestock — but birds, deer, and humans can also be infected.
The flies were eradicated from the United States in 1966 and eradication efforts are ongoing in Central America, according to the release.
The pest is widespread in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and South American countries.
Clinical signs of an fly infection include irritated or depressed behavior, shaking of the head, smell of rotted meat, isolation from other animals or people, and, integrally, the presence of fly larvae in wounds, the release states.
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