WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Wednesday, October 21, that it has confirmed the first detection of the New World screwworm in U.S. wildlife, in an elk in Pecos County, Texas, Reuters reported. The elk was on a game ranch and was reported after it was harvested by a hunter, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement.
Source: Reuters
New Mexico authorities separately said they had confirmed a case of New World screwworm in a beef cow in the state's Otero County, Reuters reported. State officials there have established a minimum 12.4-mile (20 km) radius infested zone around the affected animal's location, within which animals must be inspected and, if necessary, treated before moving within or out of the area.
Source: Reuters
Surveillance is being expanded
The Texas Animal Health Commission will modify a previously established infested zone, and the USDA and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are conducting additional wildlife surveillance in the area, the USDA said. In New Mexico, state and federal officials are expanding surveillance and fly-trapping around the affected locations to identify any additional cases and determine whether the pest has spread beyond the affected animals.
"This detection highlights the critical role hunters, landowners, outdoor enthusiasts, and wildlife professionals play in helping detect and stop the spread of NWS," the USDA said in a news release, urging people to watch for signs of infestation and report suspicious cases quickly, according to NewsNation reporting carried by Louisiana First News.
Source: NewsNation via Louisiana First News
It is a parasitic fly whose larvae can enter animals through open wounds and feed on living tissue. It was eradicated from the United States decades ago, but has surged north from Central America through Mexico in recent years.
Why it matters for shoppers and ranchers
Washington halted livestock imports from Mexico for more than a year to keep the pest out, then resumed trade in August at an Arizona port as part of a phased reopening plan, Reuters reported. The halt tightened U.S. cattle supplies and helped push beef prices to record highs for American consumers — yaani, families are already paying record prices for beef, and a wider screwworm spread would put more pressure on cattle herds and grocery bills. The USDA said in June it had opened a sterile-fly production facility in Mexico able to produce up to 100 million flies to fight the parasite, and the Food and Drug Administration expanded treatment options for animals the same month.