U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is expected to meet with ranchers on Thursday at Chaparrosa Ranch in La Pryor, Texas, where the New World screwworm was recently located. The visit will include a rancher roundtable focused on agricultural challenges in South Texas.

New World Screwworm Response Efforts

A half dozen cases of New World screwworm have been confirmed in the United States since last week, after the pest had largely been gone from the country for decades. The nearest case reported is in Gillespie County. Screwworm flies lay their eggs in wounds or orifices of warm-blooded animals, and when they hatch, the resulting larvae eat further into the host, which can cause severe, often deadly damage if not treated.

Rollins’ visit will also include a sterile fly release on-site as part of ongoing agricultural pest control efforts. Following the dispersal, Rollins will provide an update to reporters.

Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.