Remember the New World Screwworm? Well, It’s Back in West Texas

I'm not one to beat a dead fly, but recent reports have shown that the New World Screwworm (NWS) has been confirmed in a West Texas county. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller stated that the threat never really went away, but that now it's creating a clear danger to Texas livestock once again.

According to Commissioner Miller's press release, two positive cases were reported in Hudspeth County.

What Is the New World Screwworm?

For those who may not have heard of it before, NWS is a particularly nasty parasitic fly that lays its eggs inside of open wounds. I know, not a pretty picture, but the purpose is so that the larvae will hatch and be able to eat the exposed tissue of the cattle as nutrients.

Horses, sheep, goats, pets, and yes, even humans can all be affected by NWS. So, swift action must once again be taken to combat these freaky flies.

How Texas Is Taking Action

The last time that NWS threatened our livestock, the best tool we used was introducing sterile flies into the population. That way, once mating season came along, we wouldn't have to worry about larvae being placed inside of open wounds on our cattle and pets.

Commissioner Miller is advocating once again that even more sterile flies be introduced, along with more aggressive response and surveillance to reduce the number of cases back to zero.

If you own cattle, then you should regularly monitor them and report any signs of NWS to your veterinarian immediately.

You can read Commissioner Miller's full press release here, but essentially, the two new positive cases in Hudspeth County mean a stronger effort must be made in fully eradicating this invasive, parasitic fly species from all of Texas.