The screwworm is back in the United States — and cattle ranchers need to know what it is.
Despite its grim name, the screwworm isn’t actually a worm. It’s a fly larva that burrows into the open wounds of living animals, eating flesh and causing potentially fatal infections. Unlike most maggots, screwworms feed on living tissue, not dead matter — making them especially dangerous.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed five cases Monday: three calves and a goat in Texas, and a dog in neighboring Lea County, New Mexico. The New Mexico dog had never traveled to Texas or Mexico, raising new concerns about how far the pest has spread.
Animals can die within weeks without treatment, though a dozen USDA-approved medications exist. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged ranchers to act fast.
“This is a highly treatable condition if you act on it immediately,” Mr. Abbott said.
The USDA has been dropping sterile male flies across south Texas since February to suppress wild populations. Canada, meanwhile, has temporarily halted livestock imports from Texas.
A long-term fix — a $750 million sterile fly factory in Texas — is still months away.
Read more:
• A flesh-eating cattle parasite spreads beyond Texas as new screwworm cases are found
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