Screwworms in US: Human risk is low—but they can burrow through your skull
- Thread starter JournalBot
- Start date
araczynski
Ars Scholae Palatinae
Really putting a damper on my plans to retire to Colombia... even more so than the puta Petro
Upvote
12
(21
/
-9)
Classic Dr. Mole article, complete with horrific (thankfully linked and forewarned) imagery.
Given how terrible screwworm is, it saddens me that we weren't able to hold the line against them at the Darien Gap. I assume a drop in funding resulted in fewer sterile flies released, and allowed them to return.
Given how terrible screwworm is, it saddens me that we weren't able to hold the line against them at the Darien Gap. I assume a drop in funding resulted in fewer sterile flies released, and allowed them to return.
Upvote
127
(128
/
-1)
So DOGE defunded USAID programs for monitoring and containing screwworms in Central America. I'm sure this outbreak is just a coincidence though.
Upvote
193
(198
/
-5)
Yeah, I'm old enough to remember goatse; I think this omission is prudent and appropriate, whether "corporate" policy or authorial/editorial discretion.
Upvote
58
(60
/
-2)
Upvote
41
(43
/
-2)
I'm a visual oriented person in general. Thankfully, the descriptions are vivid enough that I don't even have to click on any of the links. How horrifying for the victims.
Another great article. Thanks, Dr. Mole.
Another great article. Thanks, Dr. Mole.
Upvote
49
(50
/
-1)
I've always thought that sterilization like this was always a neat strategy. But, I'm reminded of the quote: "You're implying that a group composed entirely of female animals will breed?"
Then I'm like wait "Life finds a way". How long before we have sperm dependent Parthenogenesis a-la Poecilia Formosa?
Then I'm like wait "Life finds a way". How long before we have sperm dependent Parthenogenesis a-la Poecilia Formosa?
Upvote
11
(19
/
-8)
Well to be fair in this case, it appears the collapse of the "front line" at the Darien Gap happened in 2022, so a link to Covid-related disruption is possible. But perhaps a look at year by year funding of the barrier project would provide more clues.
Upvote
119
(119
/
0)
how could this possibly happen with such a good stewardship in place with our government and our excellent regulatory environment, and our fantastic efforts to proactively work with other countries to deal with these problems
Last edited:
Upvote
48
(50
/
-2)
I'm sure we'll get a press conference with RFK Jr. eating a bowl of screwfly larvae saying that they're healthy and nutritious.
Upvote
118
(119
/
-1)
At least there may be one upside to the AMOC shutting down... though it is possible some formerly-permafrosted Arctic screwworms will emerge from Siberia and keep us company instead
Upvote
8
(9
/
-1)
You know how when you're on a plane or a bus and someone in front of you is on their phone and you start watching it over their shoulder? Don't ever do that with Dr Mole's phone.
Upvote
130
(131
/
-1)
Upvote
19
(19
/
0)
An issue with control strategies is that they exert massive evolutionary pressure on the target species. You can see this in human timescales with bacterial antibiotic resistance.
If you don't continuously adapt your techniques, then it's just a matter of time until you see insects resistant to the sterility technique, whether via parthenogenesis, promiscuity, rigorous sexual selection, or some other strategy. That's why ongoing research is important even if the problem is "solved".
Last edited:
Upvote
61
(64
/
-3)
RickRoyLeonPrisZhoraRacha
Ars Scholae Palatinae
Covid killed +750,000 Americans under Trump.
Measles killed a dozen and infected hundreds in schools, under Trump.
Polio now is back, under Trump.
HIV research and treatments threatened, under Trump.
Ebola back in full swing, due to USAID cuts, under Trump.
Hantavirus treatments in jeopardy, under Trump.
NIH and other medical researchers canned by Trump.
Global infectious diseases now up, thanks to Trump administration reckless cutting budgets to waste money on a ball room, UFC ring, ridiculous arch, and more waste and grift.
Measles killed a dozen and infected hundreds in schools, under Trump.
Polio now is back, under Trump.
HIV research and treatments threatened, under Trump.
Ebola back in full swing, due to USAID cuts, under Trump.
Hantavirus treatments in jeopardy, under Trump.
NIH and other medical researchers canned by Trump.
Global infectious diseases now up, thanks to Trump administration reckless cutting budgets to waste money on a ball room, UFC ring, ridiculous arch, and more waste and grift.
Upvote
141
(145
/
-4)
Do you think he will have 'screw worm' parties to help people get it so they can build a natural immunity to them - you know, like people would have covid parties...
Upvote
33
(33
/
0)
Maybe the Trump admin is letting the screwworms come so they can finally say they were right about Ivermectin being an important medical intevention
Upvote
46
(47
/
-1)
Upvote
9
(9
/
0)
Oh it is worse than that.
US beef is highly undesirable internationally, and has been for 30-ish significant years. Why? Remember that Mad Cow scare? Yea well, the "F" in FDA is joked by FDA workers as being silent--as things like cattle herds and turnover are more or less untracked by regulators. Which makes tracking things like screwworms or Mad Cow a spilt milk problem as soon as it is found. Cattle ranching in the USA is an industrial-scale activity, and actually screening for these ailments, given the herd turnover and national movement and international-import of cattle, into the US as stock makes it nigh on impossible.
Which is why after Mad Cow US beef took a nose dive. You can't trust the quality or that it is bug-free. TypeAshton did a vid on it last year:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9UFX1ikAE
Upvote
59
(61
/
-2)
The fact that they can and apparently will burrow deep into flesh and even through the skull seems to contradict their life cycle of falling to the ground after a week or so and then pupating in the soil. You’d think that life plan would require them to stay near the surface.
Upvote
7
(10
/
-3)
My friend who is a veterinarian predicted that we'd start seeing cases in dogs - but she thought we'd have a few more months.
This is really horrific. Regular flies can cause flystrike in livestock which is pretty horrible, but usually those wounds have to be pretty big. (They can hide under wool, feathers, or just because herds of cattle roam unsupervised.) Tiny wounds on the scalp, bug bites? Eeesh, there's no way to notice those kinds of tiny opportunities on yourself or your pets.
The one tiny thing I can hope for is that Texans will start reconsidering their political choices and relationships with government when their pets are impacted. Good government exists to keep our lives comfortably boring - and like cybersecurity, it can be hard to convey the value of Things That Didn't Happen because someone was working hard in the background.
This is really horrific. Regular flies can cause flystrike in livestock which is pretty horrible, but usually those wounds have to be pretty big. (They can hide under wool, feathers, or just because herds of cattle roam unsupervised.) Tiny wounds on the scalp, bug bites? Eeesh, there's no way to notice those kinds of tiny opportunities on yourself or your pets.
The one tiny thing I can hope for is that Texans will start reconsidering their political choices and relationships with government when their pets are impacted. Good government exists to keep our lives comfortably boring - and like cybersecurity, it can be hard to convey the value of Things That Didn't Happen because someone was working hard in the background.
Upvote
71
(71
/
0)
Nakamalkat
Smack-Fu Master, in training
"Insects restaurant"? I think your auto-correct made a poor choice on your behalf. Resistant presumably.
Upvote
1
(5
/
-4)
The containment breach was noticed in 2022 yes, and was likely the result of various covid-related disruptions and exceptions, both getting sterile flies deployed and also less control over the movement of livestock. (One might point out that priorities and choices made during the first Trump Administration are likely highly contributory.)
DOGE cuts on top of an already alarming situation were just the perfect example of the cluelessness and shortsightedness of how the Trump administration approaches literally everything. Haw haw haw why we pay for sterile flies in Panama and Mexico? Obvs the dumbs.
And less than a week ago Brooke Rollins, head of the USDA, was saying Everything Was Fine.
I can tell you among my veterinarian friends, they've been incredibly concerned for months. Anyone with any expertise in the area knew this was a very big deal.
Upvote
80
(80
/
0)
I think everyone with a degree in medicine has been tearing their hair out over the last year and a half. My PCP was eyes-glazed at the vaccine decisions last year and it hasn't gotten better,
Upvote
38
(38
/
0)
Seems like a perfect GOP parable: horrifying, deadly, and preys on the vulnerable.
Upvote
26
(26
/
0)
And talking up the benefits of gamma radiation.
Attachments
Upvote
7
(8
/
-1)
Fuck this shit. I'm going to find a squirrel or a woodchuck or something, wring its little neck, and yeet it into the CERN supercollider. If we don't end up back on the original timeline, at least we might not be on this one.
Upvote
-12
(10
/
-22)
Ah, another screwworm story. Thankfully I live in Canada so I'm safe.
Well fuck.
Well fuck.
Upvote
43
(43
/
0)
Upvote
47
(47
/
0)