Ranchers and animal health experts gathered at the First Financial Pavilion June 29 for an update on the state’s response to the rising New World Screwworm numbers, where officials emphasized that early detection remains the best defense against the pest.
With 20 cases now confirmed in the state, including a few in the Concho Valley, producers are once again adjusting how they manage their herds while officials work to keep the fly from spreading.
“It changes your whole management scheme if you’re really worried and trying to ranch,” Schleicher County rancher Norman Kohls said. “But we will whip it. We know that. We did it once before, and we’ll do it again. We just got to have enough sterilized male flies.”
That confidence was echoed by Texas Animal Health Commission Deputy Executive Director and Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. T.R. Lansford, who said successful eradication will require cooperation among officials, producers and veterinarians.
“The most critical thing that anybody can do is put eyes on their animals and be looking for signs of infestation… and have a plan for what they’re going to do if they find one,” Lansford said.
Lansford said ranchers should establish a relationship with a veterinarian now because many of the most effective treatments require a prescription. He said treating wounds quickly is just as important as eliminating the screwworms themselves.
Long-term eradication, he said, depends on a tool that has worked successfully before: sterile male flies.
“The female only mates once. If you saturate the environment with sterile males, the females lay infertile eggs that never hatch. Over time, the population just dies out,” Lansford explained.
About 100 million sterile flies are currently being produced each week, with additional production facilities in Mexico and South Texas expected to increase that supply in the coming months.
Lansford said movement restrictions and additional inspections may be inconvenient for ranchers, but they are necessary to slow the spread and protect Texas’ livestock industry.
“Screwworms are not an infectious disease, and they are not a food safety issue. They are highly treatable, they can be prevented, and certainly we will eradicate this pest again,” Lansford said.
Officials at the meeting agreed that early detection remains the best defense. They encouraged producers to inspect livestock regularly, treat wounds quickly and contact a veterinarian immediately if they suspect a screwworm infestation.
Additional information about the New World Screwworm response in Texas is available through the Texas Animal Health Commission website.