Here's what to know about the flesh-eating New World screwworm
USDA is setting a 12-mile quarantine zone and adding traps after Mexico reported at least 26,200 cases, with 2,700 still active.
- On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of New World screwworm in U.S. cattle since 1966, identifying larvae in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas.
- The flesh-eating parasitic fly lays eggs in open wounds, posing a renewed threat to the nation's $113 billion cattle industry, which relies on preventing larvae from burrowing into livestock tissue.
- Authorities implemented a quarantine and increased traps, establishing a 12-mile "infested zone" while dispersing 130 million sterile flies from planes since January to eradicate the pest.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pledged state support to expedite a $750 million breeding facility near Edinburg, Texas, calling the current construction timeline "unacceptable."
- A converted site in Mexico is expected to begin producing 100 million flies weekly next month, with officials believing both factories are essential for complete eradication across the region.
38 Articles
38 Articles
What to know about the New World screwworm fly and its reappearance in the US
The New World screwworm fly is threatening the $113 billion U.S. cattle industry for the first time in more than a half century. An infestation from its flesh-eating larvae has been confirmed in south Texas in a 3-week-old calf in…
Rollins warns ranchers face ‘really scary time’ as flesh-eating screwworm resurfaces in Texas cattle
A flesh-eating parasite long considered eradicated from the United States has reemerged in South Texas, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned Sunday, noting that ranchers face a « really scary time » as officials work to contain the outbreak. « We’ve got eyes on the cattle in South Texas. Once we spot it, we can solve for it, which [...]
Krem2 News
Flesh-eating parasite found in Texas livestock prompts federal emergency response
Federal officials are preparing a response after New World screwworm was found in southern Texas, prompting a statewide disaster declaration.
Rollins warns ranchers face 'really scary time' as flesh-eating screwworm resurfaces in Texas cattle
A flesh-eating parasite has reemerged in South Texas, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warns, calling it a "really scary time" as officials work to contain the outbreak.
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