A first detection in wild animals
The US Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday that it had verified the first instance of the New World screwworm in American wildlife. The host was an elk in Pecos county, Texas. According to the department, the animal was on a game ranch and came to attention after a hunter took it.[S1][S2]
The Texas animal health commission is set to redraw an infested zone that had already been established, and the USDA is joining the Texas parks and wildlife department in further monitoring of wildlife in the surrounding area. The department urged hunters and landowners to stay alert for indications of the parasite while they are outdoors this season.[S1]
Understand this article deeper
How the pest spread north
The screwworm was wiped out in the United States many years ago, but it has moved northward from Central America via Mexico. That advance led Washington to bar Mexican cattle imports for more than a year. Trade was suspended last year to keep the parasite out, then partially restored in August at an Arizona crossing point under a plan to reopen in stages.[S1]
The interruption has reduced cattle available in the United States and lifted beef prices to record levels for consumers. The parasite nonetheless turned up in June on a calf in Zavala county, Texas, close to the Mexican border. Dozens of cases have been recorded in the country this year since then, including in a horse and a dog.[S1]
