US confirms 2nd New World screwworm case in Texas
Washington, June 6
The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed a second detection of the New World Screwworm in Texas, marking another case in the same county where the first US detection in decades was reported earlier this week.
According to the USDA, the latest case was identified in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County, approximately 9 km from the first confirmed case reported on Wednesday, which involved a three-week-old calf.
NWS is a serious parasitic pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife and in rare cases, humans. Its larvae infest living tissue by burrowing into wounds and feeding on flesh, causing severe damage to infected animals.
The USDA said it is working closely with Texas authorities to respond to the detections. An emergency response team from the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has been deployed to the site, with mobile response units on the ground and sterile screwworm fly releases underway, totalling about 6 million flies per week through aerial and ground operations.
Movement control zones have been established, and surveillance has intensified. Treatment supplies are being provided through the Texas Animal Health Commission, the USDA said.
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said on Thursday that federal and state authorities are fully implementing an emergency response plan to prevent the pest from spreading within the country.
Authorities are also expanding the targeted release of sterile NWS flies, increasing trapping for NWS flies along the border, and enhancing wildlife monitoring. Rollins said approximately 8 million sterile flies are being released weekly through both aerial and ground-based operations.
Although eradicated from the United States decades ago, the pest remains present in parts of South America, where infections in animals and humans continue to occur. In recent years, however, the pest has spread northward through Central America and Mexico, according to the USDA.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is scary for the US, but honestly, India should take notes. With our huge livestock population, a single case of screwworm could be disastrous. We have enough problems with FMD and Lumpy Skin Disease. Hope our animal husbandry department is monitoring border areas and doing preventive releases of sterile flies too.
I'm a rancher in Texas and this is giving us nightmares. We've been on high alert since the first case. The thought of those larvae burrowing into wounds is just... gross. Proper wound management is key—gotta check every animal daily. The USDA response seems swift, but one mistake and this could explode.
Wait, sterile flies? So they're basically fighting fire with fire by releasing more flies? 😅 But honestly, that sterile insect technique worked wonders against tsetse flies in Africa. Sad that the pest spread from South America through Mexico—climate change maybe? Good trade barriers and biosecurity are essential.
Honestly, I feel for the American farmers dealing with this. But as an Indian, I'm thinking—do we even have a similar sterile fly program? I don't recall ever hearing about it. Our animal husbandry department focuses more on vaccinations and disease control, not pest-specific interventions. Maybe time
R Rajan O (Comment from observer) As an Indian vet, I'm watching this closely. NWS can kill animals fast if wounds go untreated. The movement control zones and wildlife monitoring are smart moves. However, I wonder if the US is also checking at ports of entry—larvae can travel in animal hides or transport trucks. We should learn from their containment strategies. We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.