And, so my editor does not cry, here’s the book:
(Seriously, it’s gross, you don’t have to read it.)
us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Q: Why do you know so much about screwworms? Are you a researcher? Or ten thousand larva in a trenchcoat?!?
A: Sigh. No, I’m a horror author. I wrote a horror novel about it. It’s set in 1899 when screwworms were a big deal. I did a lot of research.
I did not expect it to become relevant.
An addendum thread—someone asked, quite sensibly, if we have ivermectin now, are they still as big a deal? I go into some detail about why they are.
Err…buy my book?
Q: That sounds like something ten thousand larva in a trenchcoat would say…
A: Yes, well. *adjusts trenchcoat* The book is called WOLF WORM, it was really more about botflies, but I spent a lot of time reading entomology stuff from the 1800s.
This is not a problem that gets solved by rugged individualism. You cannot personal-responsibility your way out of it. It cannot be biohacked at home. It requires a coordinated and ongoing effort by multiple governments. The USDA is the main chunk of the US government that works on it.
Since I do not see the New World Screwworm issue going away any time soon, I’m just gonna make a thread I can pin to my profile.
Do you want to know why the screwworms have come back? Check this thread: bsky.app/profile/tkin...
Want to know what screwworm will do to you or your cow? (Probably your cow. Or the local wildlife. Human cases aren’t super common, but wow do they suck!) bsky.app/profile/tkin...