The Threat of New World Screwworm in Texas: A Looming Crisis for Ranchers and Wildlife
As the New World screwworm outbreak escalates in Texas, the state’s cattle industry and wildlife face significant threats. With 19 confirmed cases, cooperation from ranchers is vital, yet their distrust of government interventions complicates efforts to contain the spread.
Every Friday, the Beeville, Texas, livestock auction rings with the auctioneer’s calls and the cattle’s lowing. Amidst the bustling activity, a USDA poster alerts ranchers to the screwworm threat. Having been eradicated in the U.S. during the 1960s, the parasite’s return poses a dire risk to livestock and wildlife such as deer.
Donald Huser, who runs Coastal Bend Feed in Beeville, criticized the USDA for not being adequately prepared. He remarked, “It’s here. I mean, you’re just going to have to deal with it.” Huser observed that two years ago, screwworm appeared in Mexico and suggested that preparations, such as mass-producing Dectomax—a parasiticide for treating screwworm—could have been made sooner.
Huser expressed doubts that ranchers would report screwworm infestations due to fears of quarantine. “What are they going to do? Are they going to come in and they’re going to quarantine your herd? How long are they going to quarantine it for?” he asked.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller echoed these concerns, recounting ranchers’ reluctance to report cases. “I had ranchers tell me so – I’m not reporting it. I don’t want to be locked down. I’m just going to treat it and shut up,” he stated.
In response, the USDA clarified that ranches with confirmed cases would not be quarantined, potentially increasing self-reporting among ranchers. Additionally, the USDA is deploying sterile screwworm flies to curb the infestation. While Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins acknowledged a shortage of these flies, plans are underway to construct a facility in South Texas to produce millions more.
Despite these efforts, Huser pointed out that screening livestock alone may not suffice. “Yes, you can check all of your cattle and everything else, but you’re not going to catch all your deers. Those are going to be our hosts in this fight,” he noted.
Texas boasts a vast wild deer population of over 5 million, drastically reduced before screwworm eradication due to the parasite’s deadly impact on deer fawns. Dr. Gaylon Wilmeth-Burleson, a South Texas veterinarian, highlighted the lack of treatment options for wildlife, recalling how screwworm previously decimated deer populations.
The potential decimation of Texas deer poses a significant threat to the local economy, as South Texas is renowned for its white-tailed buck hunting, a multimillion-dollar industry. While hunters are urged to inspect deer for screwworm during the upcoming season in November, the parasite’s spread may persist unchecked in the interim.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
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