New Cases of Myiasis by Worm in Humans in Southern Mexico
Fly Cochliomyia hominivorax whose larva or worm causes myasis. Photo: X/ @propuestaoaxaca
May 25, 2025 Hour: 5:23 pm
Authorities of the Mexican state of Chiapas (south) confirmed this Sunday the detection of two new cases of myasis by worm in humans in recent hours, adding up to four infections detected in the country.
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Frida Viridiana Coutiño Jiménez, a member of the Mapastepec municipality in the state of Chiapas, reported that two cases of the disease had been detected in elderly residents of the ejido of Altamira.
Coutiño, public health commissioner in Mapastepec, told local media that the infections were detected after making trips to various communities, ejidos and localities.
“Two positive cases have already been found in humans. And in animals, poultry, cattle, horses and sheep, several cases have also been found”, she said.
The city governor called on citizens to take extreme precautions in the face of the outbreak that continues to spread, mainly in animals, and not to “let pass” any warning signs of the disease. ” It is something real that is being lived here in Mapastepec(…) and therefore I want you to take preventive measures”, she warned.
According to initial reports, the two new patients are hospitalized in the city of Tapachula, the capital of Chiapas, without an official report from the state or federal health secretariats so far.
José Manuel Muria Ponce, deputy director of agricultural development for Mapastepec, warned that the disease is spreading in a “critical” manner in all types of animals, including horses, sheep, goats, and chickens.
However, he stated that “releases of sterile flies to lower the incidence” have already begun in the city of Tapachula, with the expectation of creating a “barrier,” as was done in 1985, when the region suffered the same plague.
Chiapas concentrates 60% of the cases detected in animals, with 900 infections out of the 1,500 registered throughout Mexico, according to the latest report from the National Service for Health, Safety and Quality of Food (Senasica).
Myasis is a parasitic disease caused by larvae of the fly Cochliomyia hominivorax, which feed on living tissue, causing serious injury, organ dysfunction and, in severe cases, death. Symptoms include fever, depression, and loss of appetite associated with pre-existing skin wounds.
Source: EFE