How Dairies Can Handle New World Screwworm

An article by Taylor Leach on Dairy Herd Management

New World screwworm (NWS) has officially landed on U.S. soil, ending more than six decades without the destructive livestock pest and putting dairy producers on alert.

USDA recently confirmed a case in South Texas near La Pryor. The infestation was identified in a 3-week-old calf and confirmed by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. Federal animal health officials have activated response efforts as they work to contain the pest and prevent further spread.

The confirmation marks a significant development for the U.S. livestock industry. NWS was eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s through an aggressive sterile insect release program that ultimately pushed the pest south through Mexico and into South America. However, detections have steadily moved north through Mexico in recent years before crossing the U.S. border.

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