Article 6X18G Screwworms are coming—and they’re just as horrifying as they sound

Screwworms are coming—and they’re just as horrifying as they sound

by
Beth Mole
from Ars Technica - All content on (#6X18G)

We're on the verge of being screwwormed.

The biological barrier was breached, they're slithering toward our border, and the US Department of Agriculture is now carpet-bombing parts of Mexico with weaponized flies to stave off an invasion.

This is not a drill. Screwworms are possibly the most aptly named parasites imaginable, both literally and figuratively. Screwworms-technically, New World Screwworms-are flies that lay eggs on the mucous membranes, orifices, and wounds of warm-blooded animals. Wounds are the most common sites, and even a prick as small as a tick bite can be an invitation for the savage insects.

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