(The Center Square) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that “there is no food safety issue” after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of the New World Screwworm in South Texas in a bovine in Zavala County.
The affected animal is a three-week-old calf; NWS larvae were identified in its umbilical area, The Center Square reported.
At a news conference, Abbott also explained the efforts being taken and assured Texans there is no food safety issue.
The NWS larvae (maggots) burrow into (screw in) wounds of livestock, pets, wildlife and sometimes people. The more maggots, the more the animal is eaten alive. The parasite is endemic in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and in South American countries. A current outbreak has been reported in Central America and Mexico.
Last June, the NWS was detected 700 miles south of Texas. One year later, it had reached Texas despite multiple efforts made by federal and state officials.
“What we’re dealing with is an infestation of animals, however, there is no food safety issue,” Abbott said. “There’s a food production issue, but not a food safety issue.”
The governor also said the NWS doesn’t cause an infectious disease and “there’s a very well long established prevention and cure” that the federal government has implemented.” This involves releasing sterile flies to break the reproduction cycle.
Last August, the USDA invested $750 million to build the first U.S.-based Sterile Screwworm Production Facility at Moore Air Force Base in Edinburg, Texas. Built with the Army Corps of Engineers, its plan is to produce up to 300 million sterile flies per week. It is the only sterile fly facility in the U.S. in a key location at the U.S.-Mexico border, The Center Square reported.
Prior to the facility being built, Abbott directed state agencies to establish a NWS response team, including livestock producers, veterinarians, wildlife experts and federal partners to prepare in advance for the NWS coming through Mexico into Texas. He also issued a statewide disaster declaration to mobilize resources and strengthen Texas’ prevention and response efforts. On Friday, he signed an updated statewide emergency declaration to authorize the use of all available resources of state government to respond to this disaster and reassigned all resources statewide to address the issue.
All state personnel, including university systems, will be accelerating the movement of sterile flies into the state and Texas A&M is deploying flight testing facilities to the area, he said. Resources were also being prioritized for Zavala and Uvalde counties and as needed to other counties, he added. He encouraged livestock and pet owners to check their animals, adding that anyone can identify any suspicious NWS infestations.
All potential infestations should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242. Wildlife reports should be directed to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at 512-389-4505.
“This is a highly treatable condition if acted on quickly, whether it be for someone’s pets or someone’s cattle,” Abbott said. “Constant contact with your veterinarian is very important.”
“Pets like dogs and cats with outdoor exposure and untreated wounds need close monitoring all the time,” he added. “The bottom line is Texas is resilient and our producers, veterinarians and state officials are among the very best in the United States.”
Dr. Bud Dinges, TAHC state veterinarian and executive director, said, “This is not something we’ve wanted to have to face in Texas but it’s something we have prepared for for some time.” He said no additional infestation was found among the herd where the calf was infected and the calf has been treated and is doing well.
“The owner and ranch foreman’s cooperation and continued vigilance has been excellent. To paint the picture of the response and how preparedness and coordination efforts have paid off,” he said, federal and state officials prepared in advance last weekend after increased NWS reports were made in Coahuila, Mexico.
“We got teams on the ground to do targeted outreach in the area from Eagle Pass to Lake Amistad north of Del Rio,” he said. “We also discussed deploying ground relief chambers to disperse the sterile flies in the area and increased the number of surveillance traps in the area” along the Rio Grande River. “Those precautionary actions and boots on the ground” enabled a quick response to the NWS detection in Zavala County, he said.
