WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A flesh-eating parasite that feeds on warm-blooded animals has been detected in the United States after six decades.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the detection of a New World screwworm in a bovine in Zavala County, Texas. New World screwworm is a serious pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and less commonly, people and birds. Its larvae, called maggots, burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing serious damage to livestock and economic losses.
The affected animal is a 3-week-old calf and larvae were identified in its umbilical area. There have been no further detections, USDA said.
'All models showed New World Screwworm entering the country in 2025; however, thanks to the hard work across the entire Trump administration and our industry, state, and local partners, we were able to buy time for this moment. Protecting our livestock industry is a national security issue of the utmost importance, and USDA is wasting no time in taking action,' said Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. 'USDA invested heavily in the tools needed to eliminate NWS ever since cases started increasing in Central America and Mexico. The United States has defeated this pest before, and we will do it again.'
USDA and Texas officials are taking immediate action to contain and eradicate NWS from the United States.
This includes forming a unified Incident Command Team with the Texas Animal Health Commission and deploying response personnel to the area; Establishing a 20 km infested zone around the detection and implementing quarantines, movement controls, and surveillance in this area; and Expediting targeted release of sterile NWS flies by immediately deploying ground release chambers in the area, in addition to the 4 million sterile flies per week already being released aerially in the area.
USDA said it will continue to work with state departments of agriculture, animal health officials, industry, and producers to mitigate economic impacts of restrictions, including negotiating with U.S. trading partners to regionalize any trade restrictions on live animals, limiting them to defined geographic areas.
NWS maggots can infest livestock and other warm-blooded animals, including in rare cases people. They most often enter an animal through an open wound and feed on the animal's living flesh.
USDA urgeD residents in the area to check their pets and livestock for signs of NWS. 'Look for draining or enlarging wounds and signs of discomfort. Also look for screwworm larvae (maggots) and eggs in or around body openings, such as the nose, ears, and genitalia or the navel of newborn animals. If you suspect your animal is infected with screwworm, contact your state animal health official or USDA area veterinarian in charge immediately,' USDA said in a press release.
While not common in people, those who notice a suspicious lesion on their body or suspect they may have contracted screwworm, have been advised to seek immediate medical attention.
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