Cases of screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) myiasis continue to rise in Honduras, with 191 cases reported this week, including seven new infections. Most cases are concentrated in the Central District, Comayagua, Lempira, and Yoro regions. Cases have also been detected in Tegucigalpa and other cities, affecting the urban population, especially the elderly.
The death toll remains at three: a 78-year-old man and a 77-year-old woman from the department of Francisco Morazán, and an 85-year-old woman from Olancho. The case fatality rate has not increased, but severe cases pose a risk. Thousands of cases have been reported in animals, with more than 4,600 infections in cattle, swine, and dogs through May. The infestation, from which Honduras was declared free in 1996, has re-emerged in animals in 2024 and in humans in 2025.
Cases have also been reported in Mexico and the United States. Myiasis is a zoonosis that affects warm-blooded vertebrates, requiring living tissue for the development of the larvae.
