Flesh-eating screwworm may be moving closer to Texas on its own, ag commissioner says
Screwworm larvae
AUSTIN, Texas - A Texas agency is concerned that the flesh-eating New World screwworm could be getting closer to Texas without commercial livestock movement.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is sounding the alarm again for livestock owners to remain vigilant in watching for signs of the parasite in their animals.
Screwworm sighting near Texas
The latest:
Miller said in a Thursday release that a screwworm had been detected in a cow in González, Tamaulipas, a little more than 200 miles from the southern Texas border.
According to the commissioner, the cow had no reported history of movement outside Tamaulipas, and is the third active case reported there.
Officials in Mexico have not reported a known population of the worm in Tamaulipas. They're working with U.S. authorities to investigate further into the new case.
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Flesh-eating screwworms detected near Texas border
The discovery comes about a month after an $850 million plan was announced to battle the parasitic insect in Texas.
What they're saying:
"The screwworm now may be moving closer on its own, with no apparent link to commercial animal movement," Commissioner Miller said. "Texas producers must act now—stay informed, stay vigilant, and prepare immediately. We cannot drop our guard for even a moment."
Inspect livestock for screwworm
What you can do:
Miller urged immediate action from ranchers along the Texas border.
"Inspect your animals daily," Miller said. "Check every open wound. If anything looks suspicious, report it right away. Better a false alarm than a delayed response—early detection and rapid reporting are our strongest defenses against this devastating pest."
U.S. plan to fight screwworm in Texas
Big picture view:
The threat to cattle has been deemed so potentially devastating to the U.S. food supply that the federal government is committing $850 million to fight it.
Most of that money will be spent on building a sterile male fly production facility near the border.
The facility will produce 300 million sterile male flies a week to be dropped into target areas where the screwworm is now. Those male flies help to reduce the population size through mating without reproducing.
Screwworm threat in Austin: Gov. Abbott & Secretary Rollins on plans to fight back
Governor Greg Abbott and U.S Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins reveal plans to fight back against threats posed by the New World screwworm.
A much smaller portion of the funding will be used for screwworm detection technology.
In addition, the federal government has already spent $21 million on a sterile fly production facility in Mexico.
What are New World screwworms?
Dig deeper:
The insect gets its name because it’s only found in the Americas.
It lays its eggs in the open wounds of animals, and its larvae become parasites, threatening livestock, domestic animals, and even people.
What is screwworm? Symptoms, prevention and treatment
The first human case of New World screwworm was confirmed in the United States after a Maryland resident was diagnosed earlier this month.
The screwworm was mostly eradicated in Texas and the rest of the United States in the 60s. But now, it’s moving north up from Panama and has a known presence a little over 300 miles south of the Texas-Mexico border.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Sid Miller.