SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) – New World screwworm cases have been confirmed in southern Texas, prompting concerns among ranchers and pet owners as officials work to contain the parasite before it spreads further north.<\/p>\n
There are 11 confirmed cases in Texas and one case has also been confirmed in New Mexico. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just the ones they\u2019ve located. You get some wildlife that may be further in, they just haven\u2019t been able to detect it,\u201d said Ben Wible, local farmer. <\/p>\n
What makes screwworm dangerous<\/p>\n
Screwworm does not need a large opening to infect an animal. The parasite can enter through a small cut, scratch or bite. The larvae then feed on live flesh, leaving animals severely injured and sometimes dead.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s white or cream colored, oh, maybe an inch long,\u201d Wible said, describing what the larvae look like to the naked eye.<\/p>\n
Wible said he remembers seeing screwworm firsthand as a child on his own pet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were petting him and then you can actually see where the screwworm was in there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Containment efforts underway<\/p>\n
Texas and the United States are ramping up production of sterile screwworms as the primary defense against the parasite\u2019s spread.<\/p>\n
\u201cTexas and the United States is ramping up that sterile screwworm operation,\u201d Wible said. \u201cAnd that\u2019ll, that\u2019s our only real defense to stop them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials are working to increase production from 1 million sterile flies per week to 4 million per week. The sterile flies mate with wild screwworms, preventing reproduction.<\/p>\n
Economic impact<\/p>\n
If the outbreak spreads north, it could affect ranchers economically. Ranches with confirmed cases could face quarantine, preventing the sale of cattle until herds are proven clean.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you had it come up on your ranch here, you might have your ranch quarantined until, not be able to move them off of it to sell them for a little while until they were proven, you know, clean,\u201d Wible said.<\/p>\n
The outbreak could also impact meat prices and create additional costs for ranchers who may need to treat animals before shipping.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can raise the price of meat,\u201d Wible said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s just, it hurts the economy if you have that in there.\u201d<\/p>\n