Parasitic maggots that eat flesh, including human, are headed to US – and guess who’s getting blamed?

A flesh-eating parasite that even eats humans is reportedly headed to the U.S., and of course, leftists are blaming President Donald Trump.

The parasite in question is the screwworm, a fly whose maggots “eat[] animals alive: cow, pig, deer, dog, even human,” according to The Atlantic.

Cattle farmers in northern #Mexico are ramping up efforts to respond to a damaging pest called New World #screwworm. The screwworm, which can kill cattle or other hosts within weeks, has recently been detected in the south of Mexico. pic.twitter.com/3JLd9OyKUY

— DD News (@DDNewslive) May 20, 2025

In the 1950s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began “a continent-wide assault” on the parasite by raising them in factories, using radiation to make them sterile, and then releasing them back into the wild. The trick worked, and the sterile flies decimated the screwworm’s population in Mexico and North America.

After culling the parasite’s population, the government established “an invisible barrier” at the Darien Gap to prevent the screwworm from ever making its way back into the United States.

“The barrier … consisted of planes releasing millions of sterile screwworms to rain down over the Darién Gap every week,” according to The Atlantic. “This never-ending battle kept the threat of screwworms far from America.”

Sadly, in 2022, two years into then-President Joe Biden’s administration, the barrier was reportedly breached, and the screwworm began its march back up toward the United States. This time, there may be no stopping it.

Wayne Cockrell, a Texas rancher whom The Atlantic spoke to, is convinced the screwworm is coming back to the U.S. no matter what.

“The anti-screwworm program cannot produce enough sterile flies to stop the parasite’s advance, much less beat it back down to Panama, Cockrell explained,” according to The Atlantic.

The good news is that the Trump administration is aware of the threat and is taking it seriously. On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced a new partnership with Mexico to fight off the screwworm:

.@SecRollins today provided an update on USDA’s ongoing partnership with Mexico to combat the New World Screwworm. Actions include:

Investing in existing sterile fruit fly production facility
Ongoing live animal import control
Enhanced surveillance… pic.twitter.com/lYpWTryCnB

— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) May 27, 2025

The partnership calls for, among other things, renovating an existing fruit fly production facility in Mexico to turn it into a sterile screwworm-producing factory.

“Our partnership with Mexico is crucial in making this effort a success,” Rollins said in a statement. “We are continuing to work closely with Mexico to push NWS away from the United States and out of Mexico. ”

“The investment I am announcing today is one of many efforts my team is making around the clock to protect our animals, our farm economy, and the security of our nation’s food supply,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also temporarily blocked the importation of Mexican livestock until this crisis is fully averted.

I spoke with @CorrynLaRueAg from American Ag Network about the smart decision by @SecRollins and @USDA to halt imports of Mexican livestock to protect our cows from New World Screwworm.

As the chairman of the @HouseAgGOP Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, I’m… pic.twitter.com/ljEoTGnlOT

— Tracey Mann (@RepMann) May 21, 2025

Congress is also on the job.

This week, Sens. John Cornyn and Cindy Hyde-Smith, both Republicans, introduced legislation that “would authorize funds for and direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to construct a new sterile fly production facility to combat the growing NWS outbreak.”

The spread of the New World screwworm represents a serious threat to the U.S. cattle and livestock industry if left alone. The Trump administration recognizes the risk, and our legislation with Senator @JohnCornyn would give us the capacity to once again stop this pest before it… pic.twitter.com/gkmhWwXRD2

— U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (@SenHydeSmith) May 16, 2025

Despite these efforts — ones that should have ideally begun during the Biden administration — some leftists are now blaming Trump and his administration for the screwworm’s resurgence.

“Trump’s climate denial may help a livestock-killing pest make a comeback,” a speculative headline from Grist, a left-wing environmental non-profit, reads.

The piece goes on to lament “Trump’s USDA overtly refusing to acknowledge climate change or fund climate solutions,” as if either has anything to do with the screwworm…

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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