Flesh-Eating Parasite Returns to Texas
The US Agriculture Department announced on Wednesday that it had confirmed the presence of the New World screwworm (NWS) in a calf located in Zavala County, Texas. This pest had been officially eradicated from the United States many years ago.
“NWS is a serious pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and less commonly, people and birds. NWS larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing serious damage to livestock and economic losses,” the department explained in its statement.
In the reported case, the parasite was found in the umbilical region of a 3-week-old calf. Authorities emphasized that no additional cases have been discovered so far.
To contain and eliminate the outbreak, teams have been dispatched across Texas — the nation’s second-largest state — establishing a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) control zone. Measures include quarantines, restrictions on animal movement, and intensified surveillance.
Officials are also accelerating the release of sterile flies, a proven method to suppress fertile populations and limit the spread of the parasite.
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