“Tag: New World Screwworm”

The New World Screwworm (NWS), which devastated wildlife populations and the Lone Star State’s livestock industry 60 year ago, has established two beachheads in Texas.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in April that the New World Screwworm (NWS) is closer to the Texas border than ever before in this latest outbreak. On April 20 Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller warned, “The threat of the New World screwworm is creeping dangerously close to our border. A confirmed case in Nuevo León, just about 60 miles from the United States, in a young calf is a flashing red warning sign we will not ignore.”

On Jan. 29 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) declared a state of disaster as a pre-emptive move to minimize risk of the New World screwworm (NWS) establishing a foothold in the U.S. and Lone Star State.

A response plan in Texas, for implementation if the New World Screwworm parasite crosses the border, was unveiled by U.S. officials late last year and some ranchers are not on board with all the requirements.

On Aug. 24 HHS confirmed a Maryland resident—who recently traveled to El Salvador—is the first documented human case of New World Screwworm (NWS) in the United States. Presence of the parasitic larvae (maggots) was confirmed on Aug. 4 after studies conducted by the CDC and the Maryland Department of Health.

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) announced this month it has developed a state-of-the-art attractant to track New World screwworm (NWS) fly movement and proactively eliminate them where they are located.

A New World screwworm (NWS) outbreak in Mexico has raised alarms at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The impact on livestock and wildlife—including game animals—could be devastating if the flying insect and the flesh-eating maggots it produces are not kept out.