A New World screwworm has been identified in a bovine located in Zavala County, Texas, as per the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The fatal bacteria has affected a three-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas, with larvae were detected in its umbilical area, as per press statement on Wednesday, with no other identified up till yet.
According to USDA, “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 measures to eliminate the NWS from the country to prevent it.
The prevenion measures include making a 20 km infested zone around the detection, enforcing quarantines, and controlling movement in the area.
New World screwworm that burrows into the flesh of living animals, is a pest that may affect livestock, leading to economic turmoil in the agricultural sector.
Screwworm in humans
A screwworm infestation in humans, which is called myasis, happens when a female fly lays eggs in an open wounds.
