SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Despite the eradication of Cochliomyia hominivorax, or the New World screwworm, in the U.S. in the 1960s, infections are appearing in South American livestock, and a case of human infection has been confirmed in the United States.

However, Dr. Christine Navarre, the extension veterinarian for the LSU AgCenter, stresses that there is no cause for concern regarding livestock.

"It is not currently in the U.S., that needs to be made very clear. But we do need people to watch out for it, because if we do see it, we want to catch it as quickly as possible," she explains.

The screw worm larvae differ from typical maggots because they can burrow into the live flesh of warm-blooded mammals. If they are not caught and taken care of quickly, they could be deadly.

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