Texas ranchers prepare for screwworm as USDA confirms cases in Texas

LOTT, Texas (KWTX) - Six confirmed cases of New World screwworm have emerged in the past week, with five in Texas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The outbreak has sparked concern among ranchers across Texas, home to a more than $15 billion cattle industry. Here in Central Texas ranchers are already preparing for the parasite. “I never thought this day would come until about three years ago, when we knew the screwworm started moving up out of South America,” said Jared Ranly, a fourth-generation cattle producer and veterinarian. “We had our hopes that we could keep it at bay, but we knew as fast as it was moving up that this day would come and here we are.” What’s so concerning about this parasite is that it seeks out any living mammal, including people, cattle, pets and horses. The female fly deposits eggs in wounds, which then hatch into flesh-eating larvae. #NewWorldScrewworm #Screwworm #Texas #USDA #TexasCattleIndustry #IsabellaQuintanilla For more Local News from KWTX: https://www.kwtx.com/ For more YouTube Content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYedMp8lKCCw9y0Qe3J9huQ