New screwworm cases raise concern for Texas cattle, beef prices |
New screwworm cases raise concern for Texas cattle, beef prices
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Concerns over the spread of the New World screwworm are growing after multiple new cases were confirmed on Monday, and as state and federal officials ramp up efforts to contain the parasite.
Screwworm is not a virus but a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living tissue, primarily affecting livestock and other animals.
A case of screwworm was identified on Monday in a goat in Gillespie County, Texas, according to state officials. That follows two earlier reports in the day: one in a calf in La Salle County, Texas, and another in a dog in Lea County, New Mexico.
State and federal leaders said they are taking aggressive steps to stop the spread.
“Teams are on the ground in infested zones, conducting active animal surveillance, establishing checkpoints, connecting with landowners and producers for sterile fly release locations, conducting ground and aerial release of sterile flies, and educating animal owners and the public on the pest and how to prevent the spread,” said Dr. Lewis R. “Bud” Dinges, Executive Director of the Texas Animal Health Commission.
The emergence of........