All articles tagged with #new world screwworm
Pennsylvania agriculture officials have issued a quarantine order and urged farmers and pet owners to strengthen biosecurity measures after confirmed New World screwworm cases in the United States.
U.S. officials report 12 confirmed cases of New World screwworm (11 in Texas, 1 in New Mexico) as the flesh-eating parasite re-emerges after spreading north from Central America; eradicated in the 1960s, it threatens cattle, sheep and wildlife, prompting surveillance, testing and millions of sterile-male releases, a Kerrville research lab expansion, and a Texas disaster declaration to contain the outbreak; meat remains safe and early detection is crucial.
Idaho's agriculture department issued an administrative order restricting the movement of warm-blooded animals from screwworm‑infested zones and requiring a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within five days of travel, plus documentation that the animal was authorized to leave the infested area, after the first U.S. screwworm case was confirmed in Texas. Animals from states with detections but outside infestation zones must also have a health certificate issued within five days before entering Idaho; officials urged pet owners and travelers to take precautions and coordinate with USDA.
A New World screwworm outbreak near the Texas–Mexico border threatens Trump's bid to lower beef prices before the midterms, with potential billions in losses if it spreads. The USDA has quarantines and is releasing sterile flies to curb the pest, but containment is hampered by having only one North American sterile-fly facility (Panama) and a Texas plant not online until 2027. Beef prices are already high (ground beef ~ $7/lb, steak ~ $13/lb), and industry officials warn that the pest could keep costs elevated for farmers and shoppers.
The New World screwworm fly has reappeared in the United States, signaling a potential northward spread that could threaten livestock. In response, authorities are expanding a sterile-fly program, including a facility in Edinburg, Texas, where dyed fly pupae are used to rear and release sterile males to curb the population.
A New World Screwworm has been detected in the US for the first time since 1966, in a three-week-old calf in Texas near the Mexico border. Authorities are establishing a 20 km detection and quarantine zone to slow the spread as the parasite can infest wounds and threaten cattle herds; human risk is low and there are no food-safety concerns.
A New World screwworm was detected in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, with larvae found in the umbilical area; there are no additional detections at this time. USDA APHIS and Texas officials have launched containment and eradication efforts, including a 20-kilometer infested zone, quarantines, movement controls, and enhanced surveillance to protect livestock and prevent economic losses.
The first human case of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that causes tissue infestation, has been confirmed in Maryland after travel to Central America. While the risk to the US remains low due to successful eradication efforts, precautions are advised for travelers to endemic regions, and prompt medical treatment is necessary if infection occurs.
The first confirmed human case of New World screwworm myiasis in the US was reported in a traveler returning from El Salvador, highlighting a rare but serious parasitic infestation that primarily affects livestock but can also impact humans, with authorities monitoring the situation due to potential economic and health risks.
The US has confirmed its first human case of a flesh-eating parasite, the New World screwworm, in a Maryland resident who traveled from El Salvador. The parasite, which feeds on live tissue, is spreading in Central America and Mexico, but the risk to the US public remains low. Authorities are taking measures to prevent its entry into the US, including building a sterile fly production facility and monitoring imports.
A rare travel-related case of the flesh-eating New World screwworm was identified in Maryland, marking the first such human case in the US linked to an outbreak in Central America. The parasite, which feeds on living tissue, poses a threat to animals and potentially humans, but the risk to the US public remains low. The US is taking measures to prevent further spread, including building a sterile fly production facility and enhancing surveillance.
Due to the northward spread of New World Screwworm in Mexico, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has ordered the immediate closure of livestock ports along the southern border to prevent the pest's entry, as efforts to control and eradicate the disease are ongoing in Mexico.