Flesh-eating New World screwworm can infect humans and pets. Here are the symptoms to look for

(NEXSTAR) – After decades of eradication, the New World screwworm is back in the United States. Cases of the flesh-eating parasite have been confirmed in Texas and New Mexico, and officials fear its spread could wreak havoc on American livestock and cattle.

While the screwworm primarily affects livestock, cows and goats aren’t the only ones vulnerable. The flies can lay eggs on any warm-blooded animal, including people and pets.

In fact, one of the confirmed cases in Lea County, New Mexico, is in a small pet dog.

New World screwworm flies lay their eggs in open wounds, noses, ears, eyes or mouths. Those eggs develop into parasitic larvae, or maggots, that feed on the surrounding flesh as they burrow deeper.

If left untreated, the screwworm can be deadly to humans.

What symptoms of screwworm infection should you look for?

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