Yucatan Logs 3 New Screwworm Myiasis Cases as National Total Reaches 587

Mérida, Yucatán — Yucatan confirmed three new human cases of screwworm myiasis during the week of August 8-14, ranking fourth nationally in new infections that week and bringing its cumulative total to 41 — the fifth-highest state count in Mexico. Campeche and Quintana Roo reported no new cases during the same period, leaving Yucatan as the only active focus on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Mexico’s federal Health Ministry said 30 new infections were detected in 12 states during that week, four more than the 26 recorded the previous week and more than double the 14 cases reported two weeks earlier.

Puebla led the new cases with eight, followed by Veracruz with six, Oaxaca with four and Yucatan with three. San Luis Potosi reported two, and seven states — Chiapas, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala and Zacatecas — each reported one.

These figures pushed Mexico’s cumulative total to 587 cases of myiasis caused by Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World screwworm. That is a 5.38% increase in seven days, up from 557 patients the previous week. The country is now averaging four to five new cases per day.

Yucatan’s 41 accumulated cases place it fifth nationally, behind Chiapas (156), Veracruz (106), Puebla (54) and Oaxaca (53). Guerrero has 33, San Luis Potosi 26, Quintana Roo 23, Hidalgo 19, and Campeche and Tabasco 13 each. After reporting one case in late July and none in the first week of August, Yucatan reemerged among the states with the highest number of new infections.

Tlaxcala confirmed its first human case this week, expanding the list of affected states to 25. Seven northwestern states remain free of the disease: Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa and Sonora.

Together, Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Campeche account for 77 human cases, or 13.1% of the national total. Yucatan has the largest share with 41 cases, followed by Quintana Roo with 23 and Campeche with 13. Only Yucatan confirmed new infections during week 31.