Puebla
State of central Mexico, east of Mexico City; capital Puebla de Zaragoza.
Puebla had 61 human New World screwworm cases by 18 September 2026, the fourth-highest count of any Mexican state, as the livestock parasite spread north through the country.
Last refreshed: 4 October 2026
Timeline for Puebla
Mentioned in: Screwworm cases in Mexico rise fivefold
Pandemics and BiosecurityBackground
Puebla now ranks among the Mexican states worst hit by New World screwworm in people. Health ministry figures relayed by El Universal put its count at 61 human cases by 18 September 2026. Only Chiapas (165), Veracruz (116) and Oaxaca (68) had more, and Yucatán followed with 47.
The state sits in central Mexico, east of Mexico City, with its capital at Puebla de Zaragoza. Nationally, Across Mexico, human cases reached 575 between January and 18 September 2026, against 117 for the whole of 2025. Four people have died this year, in Oaxaca, Querétaro, Veracruz and Yucatán; none was in Puebla.
The parasite reached central Mexico because the sterile-fly barrier at Panama's Darién Gap was breached in 2023. Any untreated wound on cattle, dogs or people can host the larvae, which eat living flesh. Human cases rise with the number of flies in the field.