The Americas | Climate change and parasites

The flesh-eating worms devouring cows

The Darién Gap used to protect Central America. Not any more

Cattle in Panama.
Photograph: COPEG
|Panama City

A screwworm infestation is gruesome. The female fly lays hundreds of eggs on the exposed flesh of warm-blooded animals. The eggs hatch into larvae which gorge themselves on the living tissue, creating a pulsating mess. Ladislao Miranda’s cattle herd in western Panama had been free of the parasite for nearly 30 years, but in May the 60-year-old rancher spotted white eggs on his animals. He now spends his days digging worms out of haunches and treating wounds with powder. “This plague is back and it’s stronger than ever,” he says.

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This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “The worm turns”

From the October 26th 2024 edition

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