New World screwworm found in Texas elk, New Mexico beef cow

WASHINGTON >> The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it confirmed the first detection of the flesh-eating New World screwworm parasite in U.S. wildlife, after it was found in an elk in Pecos County, Texas. New Mexico authorities separately confirmed a case in a beef cow.

The elk was on a game ranch and was reported after a hunter harvested the animal, the USDA said in a statement.

The Texas Animal Health Commission will modify an existing infested zone, while the USDA and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department conduct additional wildlife surveillance in the area.

Later Wednesday, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture announced that animal health officials had confirmed a New World screwworm case in a beef cow in Otero County.

State and federal officials are expanding surveillance and fly-trapping around affected locations to identify additional cases and determine whether the pest has spread beyond the animals already confirmed to be infected, New Mexico authorities said.

Officials have established an infested zone with a minimum radius of 12.4 miles around the cow’s location, the state agriculture department said. Within the zone, animals must be inspected and, if necessary, treated before being moved within or out of the area.

New World screwworm was eradicated from the United States decades ago, but the pest has moved north from Central America through Mexico. Its spread prompted the U.S. government to suspend Mexican cattle imports for more than a year.

The United States halted livestock imports from Mexico last year to keep out the parasite, then resumed trade in August at an Arizona port as part of a phased reopening plan.

The suspension tightened U.S. cattle supplies, contributing to record-high beef prices for American consumers.