Texas screwworm crisis: Discovery of flesh-eating parasite raises urgent questions

this New World ScrewwormA flesh-eating parasite that was officially eradicated from the United States in 1966 was recently discovered Wednesday in a three-week-old calf near La Pryor, Texas, about 30 miles from the Mexican border.

The discovery prompted an emergency response from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which established a 20-kilometer-wide containment zone, implemented livestock movement controls and expanded surveillance in affected areas.

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When the eggs hatch, hundreds of larvae with sharp teeth burrow into the flesh of a living creature, killing the host if not treated appropriately.

NWS can infect people and pets, but the risk to humans is minimal, and human screwworm infections are uncommon. The fly does not pose a food safety risk.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that state authorities are working with the federal government to reduce the spread of flies and the infections they carry with their larvae.

U.S. officials say the latest discovery of the flesh-eating worm is the result of a broader resurgence of screwworm cases in Central America and Mexico. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2,000 human cases have been reported in Mexico and Central America during the latest outbreak cycle.

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The sterile insect technique works by incubating flies in a confined area, sterilizing them with radiation, and then releasing them back into the wild.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters on Thursday that officials have released 4 million sterile flies over land since an infected calf was discovered. Since February, they have also released an additional 4 million flies via aircraft each week.

The USDA plans to significantly increase production of sterile fruit flies, potentially reaching 600 million flies per week. Currently, facilities in the United States and Mexico can only produce about 100 million sterile fruit flies per week.

Authorities have also deployed USDA’s “Beagle Brigade” detection dogs and stepped up border inspections.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller also criticized the federal government for a “slow, bureaucratic and incomplete response that allowed the pest to travel unchecked through Mexico and onto U.S. soil.”

Additionally, Canada has temporarily banned raising livestock in Texas due to the continued spread of screwworm in Texas. Horses and other livestock will no longer be imported, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The restriction applies to animals that were born in Texas or were born in Texas within 21 days before being imported into Canada.

The United States is Canada’s largest agricultural importer and will import more than $3 billion worth of live animals and other animal products by 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.