Wednesday, December 15, 2021
USDA's dashboard counted 113 New World screwworm cases in animals across three states as of Nov 4, with no locally acquired human cases reported.
USDA's online dashboard counted 113 confirmed New World screwworm cases in US animals as of November 4, KBTX reported. That is up from 71 on October 28. The cases are in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. These are moving numbers as of this week, and they are expected to climb.
USDA reported the first animal case of this outbreak on June 3. Detections stayed quiet through August and September, then rose sharply in October, Texas Public Radio reported. Arizona confirmed its first case on October 28, a dog in Cochise County. A horse and a ram near Duncan in Greenlee County followed. The Arizona Department of Agriculture said neither animal had a known travel history. Movement restrictions now cover parts of 16 Texas counties plus affected areas of New Mexico and Arizona. Through November 3, all but one case involved livestock or pets. The exception was an elk in Pecos County, Texas.
The New World screwworm is a fly that lays its eggs in open wounds on warm-blooded animals. Its larvae feed on living tissue, which can kill an animal if it goes untreated. USDA says the parasite is not a food safety threat because it feeds on wounds in living animals and inspection keeps infested animals out of the food supply. CDC said on October 29 that the risk to the public is very low. It reported no human cases acquired in the United States.
USDA's main tool is sterile flies, which keep wild females from producing young. Past campaigns needed about 500 million a week, KBTX reported. Plants in Panama and Mexico make about 140 million combined. A new plant at Moore Air Base in South Texas is due to finish construction next April, with a goal of 100 million a week within a year. USDA Under Secretary Dudley Hoskins said the agency will stay in a response posture until production peaks. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called for faster federal action.
If you keep animals in these states, check them daily for draining or enlarging wounds, maggots, egg masses and unusual irritability. A few goats or a single horse get the same check as a ranch herd, and a small herd makes it a quick daily habit. Call your vet before you move an animal with a suspicious wound. In Texas, report suspected livestock or pet cases to the Texas Animal Health Commission at 1-800-550-8242. In Arizona, call the Department of Agriculture at 602-542-4293. Hunters should check harvested game for unusual wounds and report them to state wildlife officials. Dog owners can fold this into dog emergency preparedness, since a cut paw is an open wound. FDA has authorized several treatments for dogs and cats, so ask your vet what fits your animal. For people, CDC advises keeping open wounds clean and covered, which is one more reason to review your first aid kit checklist. If you ever find maggots in a wound, CDC says to see a healthcare provider and leave them in place.
Where it stands now: USDA's count rose by 42 in a week, and sterile fly supply sits well below what past campaigns needed. USDA plans to reopen the Nogales, Arizona, port to cattle imports on November 30 if conditions stay safe. Check your animals today and save your state animal health number in your phone. Be Prepared Not Scared!
