WOODVILLE – The New World Screwworm has raised statewide concerns, as the number of confirmed cases has risen to 15, as of Sunday.
While federal and state agencies are working together the eradicate the parasitic fly, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a statewide disaster declaration in response. At the county level, an informational meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 2 at the Nutrition Center in Woodville.
The meeting is hosted by the county’s AgriLife Extension Office, in conjunction with the county’s Office of Emergency Management, Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).
Hunter Scoggins, who serves as a biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife will speak, along with Clint Sturrock, an investigator with TAHC.
The New World Screwworm is native to the Western Hemisphere, and lays eggs in the living tissue of fresh wounds in warm-blooded mammals. The larvae of these parasites cause severe wounds and, often, death, if untreated.
It was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s, but occasionally reemerges in Central America and in Mexico. They are controlled through the release of sterile males, which is known as sterile insect technique.
Abbott has launched a website, as of last week, that serves as a clearinghouse of information pertaining to the screwworm problem. That site can be accessed at screwworm.texas.gov.
“The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife and our rural economy,” Abbott said last week.
The website features maps, identification methods and resources that Texans can utilize to detect problems early and report cases.
So far the reported cases have been in the Panhandle Plains region. While most cases are found in cattle, one case was reported from a dog.
TAHC is urging livestock and pet owners to stay vigilant, monitor their animals, and report any suspicions of NWS infestations by calling 1-800-550-8242.
