Screw Worm has returned

[D_Walt]

The New World screw worm has returned to the US after a 60 year absence. Two cases this week in South Texas, both in calves. Bad news as fawns will hit the ground in the region starting at the end of the month, and an untreated infestation is pretty much 100% fatal for the host animal. Newborns get hit especially hard as the flies lay eggs in the naval which then eat their way through living tissue, if that doesn’t kill them a secondary infection from the wound will.

Hopefully the response with traps and sterile fly techniques can stop them from spreading north. I sat in an online conference with the Texas Ag commission and USDA almost a year ago to the day and they knew it was coming eventually. They have been ramping up sterile fly facilities for over a year, they eradicated the flys from the US in the 60’s, hopefully they can stop them quickly this time. Bad news for wildlife if they don’t.

 

[Gellar]

The New World screw worm has returned to the US after a 60 year absence. Two cases this week in South Texas, both in calves. Bad news as fawns will hit the ground in the region starting at the end of the month, and an untreated infestation is pretty much 100% fatal for the host animal. Newborns get hit especially hard as the flies lay eggs in the naval which then eat their way through living tissue, if that doesn’t kill them a secondary infection from the wound will.

Hopefully the response with traps and sterile fly techniques can stop them from spreading north. I sat in an online conference with the Texas Ag commission and USDA almost a year ago to the day and they knew it was coming eventually. They have been ramping up sterile fly facilities for over a year, they eradicated the flys from the US in the 60’s, hopefully they can stop them quickly this time. Bad news for wildlife if they don’t.

Meateater had a good podcast about the screwworm a few months ago. Episode 835 attack of the screwworm.

 

[D_Walt]

Meateater had a good podcast about the screwworm a few months ago. Episode 835 attack of the screwworm.

I’ll give a listen. I was talking with a few old timers this afternoon that remembered when it was bad down here 65 years ago and telling about doctoring calves when they had infestations. Nasty stuff.