Overview
- Residents in Poza Rica, including the Palma Sola neighborhood, shared videos showing rat‑tailed maggot larvae in mud and standing water days after the Río Cazones overflow.
- Specialists identify the organisms as Eristalis fly larvae that thrive in oxygen‑poor, organic‑rich wastewater, making their presence a clear indicator of contamination.
- Health risks cited include gastrointestinal illness and rare cases of miasis if contaminated water or food is ingested or contacts wounds, though no formal sanitary alert has been issued.
- Authorities are fumigating, applying lime and removing debris, and local health centers remain available to attend cases as collapsed drainage keeps water pooled.
- In a separate incident, Pemex reports repairing a damaged pipeline on the Río Pantepec and, with federal agencies, containing the spill and recovering more than 180,000 liters of hydrocarbon.