In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Kathy Simmons, Chief Veterinary Officer with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, about the growing threat of insect-borne diseases in the cattle industry—especially the New World screwworm—and what producers need to be thinking about moving forward.
A Growing Challenge from Insect-Borne Diseases
Dr. Simmons made it clear that this is not a short-term issue for cattle producers. “We have a problem,” she said. Dr Simmons warned that these challenges will likely intensify. “For the beef cattle industry, I think in the next decade we’re going to see problems with these vector-borne diseases… these diseases and problems that come from insect vectors or carriers of the problem.”
She explained that producers may need to rethink how they approach animal health. “We always like… a silver bullet… a vaccine, or… an antibiotic… but I think with a lot of these diseases, it becomes a mixture of treatment, management and control of these insect vectors,” Simmons said. “We’re going to have to really, really do things a little differently than we’ve done before.”
The Role of the Sterile Fly in Eradication
When it comes to the New World screwworm, Simmons emphasized that one method remains central to control efforts. “Our cornerstone for eradication is the sterile male New World screw worm flies,” she explained.
The strategy works because of the insect’s biology. “The females only mate once in their lifetime,” Simmons said. “If they only mate once… and we can get these sterile males out to outcompete the wild males, then we can reduce and eventually eradicate the population.”
Planning and Prevention Will Be Critical
Even with tools available, Simmons stressed that prevention and preparation are essential. “To control this pest in the United States, we’re going to have to have increased surveillance,” she said. “We’re going to have to have movement controls so that we don’t move this pest around.”
She also highlighted the need for a multi-layered approach. “We have to have the treatment options… and we have to have adequate sterile fly production to eradicate it, ultimately, because that’s the key… the cornerstone… to eradication.”
Beyond that, management decisions on the ranch will play a major role. “We have to look at when these animals are going to be at greatest risk for the fly actually laying the eggs,” she said, noting that infections can become severe quickly, with larvae “creating the inflammatory infection that can result in death in seven to 14 days.”
Changing Management on the Ranch
Simmons pointed out that everyday management practices may need to adapt to reduce risk. “We’re going to have to have increased surveillance. We have to look at these animals every day,” she said. That can include traditional methods or newer tools. “You can either go out and ride and look at them… or you can use some technologies—drones, game cameras… detecting dogs.”
She also warned that certain animals are especially vulnerable. “At greatest risk are newborn calves at the umbilicus, the dam at the area around the genitalia, certainly at risk are any animals that have been castrated, dehorned… even an ear tag can be susceptible… and so can a tick bite.” Because of that, she said, “we’re going to have to have our parasite control, and we’re going to have to plan when we do these procedures.”
Labor Challenges and the Need for Vigilance
One of the biggest hurdles producers face is simply keeping eyes on cattle. “There are concerns because we don’t have the manpower we had before,” Simmons said. “We have large herds in public lands that can be very rugged and remote.”
That reality makes consistency even more important. “It will be critical, if you are in an infested area, to check your animals, especially your at-risk animals, every day,” she emphasized.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR above for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
