A case of New World Screwworm has been reported close to the border of the United States in Nuevo Leon, according to Mexico’s Agriculture Ministry. The is the state’s second confirmed case in approximately two weeks.
The infected calf came from the southern part of Mexico and was intercepted just south of Monterrey. None of the other 84 animals in the shipment were found to be infected with the flesh-eating parasite.
The screwworm larvae in the detected case were all found dead or dying as a result of the mandatory treatments, including the antiparasitic Ivermectin.
“The condition in which the larvae arrived makes them unviable for reproduction, demonstrating the effectiveness of the inspection protocols at origin and destination applied to mitigate the risk of screwworm spreading,” the ministry said in a statement about the most recent case.
The name screwworm refers to the maggots’ (larvae) feeding behavior as they burrow into the wound, feeding as they go like a screw being driven into wood. The NWS maggots cause extensive damage by tearing at the hosts’ tissue with sharp mouth hooks. The wound can become larger and deepen as more maggots hatch and feed on living tissue. As a result, NWS can cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal.
The outbreak has prompted the U.S. government to keep its border closed to imports of Mexican cattle, horses, and bison.
Source: NAFB News Service
