SAN ANTONIO
\n \u2013 A flesh-eating parasite is back in Texas, threatening warm-blooded animals, from wild animals to livestock to pets.<\/p>\n
A half dozen cases of New World screwworm have been confirmed in the United States since last week after being largely gone from the country for decades. The nearest case reported is in Gillespie County.<\/p>\n
So what do you need to know to protect your pets or livestock?<\/p>\n
Signs of infestation<\/p>\n
Screwworm flies lay their eggs in wounds or orifices of warm-blooded animals. When they hatch within 12 to 24 hours, the resulting larvae eat further into the host, which can cause severe, often deadly damage if not treated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say that, you know, if an infestation lasts \u2014 it\u2019s not treated or caught within seven to 10 days, seven to 14 days \u2014 at that point, it could get pretty serious. Ultimately could be death,\u201d said Karl Harborth, an extension livestock specialist out of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center in Corpus Christi.<\/p>\n
Treated early enough, though, Harborth said an animal should be fine.<\/p>\n
He recommends checking your animals every two to three days and treating any wounds you find, though he warned against jumping to conclusions on what you find. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think treating that wound right away and watching that wound is probably a better approach than overreacting and then thinking that you might have screwworm. There\u2019s no reason to have suspicion of screwworm unless you start seeing some of those signs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Those signs could include:<\/p>\n
Foul-smelling wounds, possibly with visible maggots or eggs<\/p>\n
Animal biting or licking at wounds<\/p>\n
Unusual restlessness or lethargy<\/p>\n
Lesions in navels, ears, dehorning or branding sites<\/p>\n