The New World screwworm fly, a parasite with flesh-eating larvae, has been detected in south Texas, marking the first time in decades that it threatens the U.S. cattle industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the case in a 3-week-old calf in LaPryor, Texas, located about 50 miles from the Mexico border.
Quarantine Measures in Place
Texas State Veterinarian Bud Dinges has established a 12-mile quarantine zone, prohibiting the movement of any warm-blooded animals, including pets, outside the zone without inspection. This measure aims to prevent the spread of the parasite, which can infest livestock, wild mammals, household pets, and even humans.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized that while the fly’s larvae pose a threat to livestock, they do not infest food. Properly treated, even infested animals can recover. Rollins reassured that there is no immediate threat of mass infestation due to extensive preparations, including the release of millions of sterile screwworm flies to control the population.
Efforts to Combat the Threat
The USDA has been actively working to prevent the fly’s entry into the U.S., with efforts including the deployment of 8,000 fly traps along the U.S.-Mexico border and the testing of over 58,000 fly samples. Additionally, the USDA has converted a fruit-fly breeding facility in southern Mexico to breed sterile screwworm flies and has opened a new center for dispersing these flies in southern Texas.
Rollins defended the decision to close the U.S.-Mexico border to livestock imports from Mexico last year, a move aimed at preventing the fly’s spread. The fly can travel with people, pets, and wild animals, though it does not fly great distances on its own.
Ranchers and pet owners in the affected area are urged to respect the quarantine zone to help prevent further spread of the pest. Dinges emphasized the importance of cooperation in these efforts to protect the cattle industry and local communities.
Original reporting: 12News / KPNX (Phoenix) — read the source article.
