The following commentary is from an email sent by Oklahoma State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall as he addresses the possibility that New World Screwworms could show up in Oklahoma:
“In addition to the other diseases we’re dealing with and watching out for, such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Foot and Mouth Disease, African Swine Fever, Tuberculosis, CWD, and others, we have a disease that is moving closer to the U.S. that is very concerning.
“New World Screwworm has escaped the narrow country of Panama where it’s been contained since the late 1990s. Since 2023 it has been moving northward through Central America and was discovered in far southern Mexico late last fall. Efforts by Mexico and the USDA to contain it have not been successful and it is now only about 700 miles from the Mexican border with Texas. Because of this, USDA has stopped the importation of all cattle, horses, and bison from Mexico. You can read Secretary Rollins’ message here: Secretary Rollins Suspends Live Animal Imports Through Ports of Entry Along Southern Border, Effective Immediately | Home
“There is a lot of information about NWS here: New World Screwworm I’ve also attached a short PowerPoint presentation(it is found at the top bottom of this story) that has some good information and doesn’t take long to look through.
“The message I’d like everyone to comprehend at this time is:
- Please familiarize yourself with the parasite, its life cycle, and how it causes problems
- We do not have any cases of NWS in the United States currently
- There is a definite chance it will make its way here
- Even if it does make its way here, our beef, pork, and poultry continue to be safe for human consumption
- As we follow the progress of the NWS, we’ll send more information about the method of reporting potential cases and submitting samples for diagnosis
- Heaven forbid we get it here, but if we do, we’ll be sending out the best way to treat individual cases.
“As always, I appreciate everyone helping us monitor for serious diseases and reporting unusual cases to us. The sooner we find cases of new and emerging diseases, the better our chances are to stop them quickly.”
