In the US, millions of flies will be dropped from planes. No, it's not a biological weapon. It's a method to fight the spread of New World screwworms, a parasitic flesh-eating larva of the Cochliomyia ...

The U.S. has closed its southern border again to livestock imports, saying that a flesh-eating parasite has moved further north in Mexico than previously reported.

Droughts have a similar effect: When soil dries out over long periods, it can become compacted or even crusted over, reducing its ability to absorb water. Severe to extreme preexisting drought ...