The New World screwworm fly, a parasite known for its flesh-eating larvae, has been detected in south Texas, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This marks the first time in decades that the fly has posed a threat to the nation’s cattle industry, with the last Texas case reported in 1966.
Local Impact and Response
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the case was found in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas, approximately 50 miles from the Mexico border. In response, Texas State Veterinarian Bud Dinges has established a 12-mile quarantine zone, restricting the movement of any warm-blooded animals, including pets, without inspection.
Despite the detection, Rollins assured that there have been no other cases in the U.S. and emphasized that the larvae do not infest food. The USDA remains confident that the measures in place will prevent a mass infestation, including the release of millions of sterile screwworm flies to mate with wild females, a method previously used to eradicate the fly.
Preventive Measures and Historical Context
The USDA has been proactive in addressing the threat, having sounded alarms about the fly’s movement across Mexico for over a year. The fly’s larvae can cause significant damage to livestock, wild mammals, pets, and even humans if left untreated. The USDA has invested $21 million to convert a fruit-fly breeding facility in southern Mexico into one for screwworm flies and has opened a new center in southern Texas for dispersing sterile flies.
Additionally, 8,000 fly traps have been deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border, and over 58,000 fly samples and 19,000 wild animals have been tested. The USDA also closed the U.S.-Mexico border to livestock imports last year to mitigate the risk.
Rollins highlighted that while the fly can travel with people, pets, and wild animals, it does not fly great distances on its own. Dinges urged ranchers and pet owners to respect the quarantine zone to prevent further movement of the pest.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
