For the first time in 60 years, the flesh-eating New World screwworm fly has been detected in Texas.
According to CultureMap Dallas, the case was in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas, about 50 miles from the Mexico border. To prevent the spread, Texas State Veterinarian Bud Dinges established a 12-mile quarantine zone, prohibiting the movement of any warm-blooded animal — including pets — outside that zone without an inspection.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA is confident enough in its preparations that it believes “there is no threat of mass infestation.”
Rollins was quick to point out that while the fly’s larvae are a threat to livestock production, they don’t infest food and when properly treated, even an infested calf should recover.
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