Screwworm Cases Rise in Yucatán; Human Infections Reported

Mérida, Yucatán — A 47-year-old man has been infected by the screwworm parasite, bringing the total number of human cases in the state to three. The individual was affected in the ear canal, according to a report from the Yucatán Ministry of Rural Development (Seder).

The latest report details 50 new cases of screwworm in Yucatán, bringing the cumulative total to 481 cases, which includes the three human infections.

Infected animals presented with lesions primarily on the ears, cervical region, and navel. These wounds were caused by ear tagging, bites from hematophagous bats, barbed wire, or fights among the animals themselves. The cases were registered across 23 municipalities in the state.

The municipalities reporting one case each are: Panabá, Valladolid, Sucilá, Cacalchén, Izamal, Kantunil, Dzidzantún, Kinchil, Kopomá, Tecoh, Progreso, Umán, and Acanceh. These cases were found in bovine, equine, porcine, and canine animals ranging in age from four days to 10 years old.

Municipalities reporting two cases each are: Sanahcat, Temozón, Tekax, and Maní. The cases involved porcine, bovine, and canine animals from ten days old to 38 months old.

The municipalities of Tahmek and Tizimín each reported three cases. Four cases were registered in Oxkutzcab and Tunkás, and seven cases were reported in Tzucacab. These were recorded in bovine, swine, canine, and ovine animals with ages ranging from seven days to nine years.

Eight cases were registered in the state capital of Mérida, including canine and porcine animals, as well as the 47-year-old man affected in the ear canal by "Darier's disease." The animals in the capital were between 7 months and 13 years old.

To date, cases of screwworm have been presented in 69 municipalities across the state, prompting the Seder to exhort citizens and livestock producers to remain vigilant.

The Seder, in coordination with Local Livestock Associations (AGL) and the National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (Senasica), maintains a strategic effort to control the myiasis, which affects both animals and humans.

The ministry calls on the public to constantly monitor animals and treat any wound, even the most minor, to prevent the fly that produces the screwworm from depositing its eggs.