Mexico has recorded 5,086 cases of flesh-eating screwworm in animals as of Aug. 17, a 53% jump from the number of cases reported in July, according to Mexican government data seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
The updated numbers, which have not been previously reported to the public, showed 649 currently active cases.
“That’s absolutely concerning,” said Neal Wilkins, CEO of conservation and cattle group East Foundation. “Having a 50% increase in month-over-month numbers, particularly in the extreme heat, means they haven’t gotten it under control.”
The vast majority of cases were identified in cattle, though Mexican government data also showed infestations in dogs, horses, and sheep.
Screwworms are parasites that eat warm-blooded animals alive and can devastate cattle herds and local wildlife.
Since an outbreak began in 2023, screwworms have advanced northward from Central America into Mexico and inched closer to the United States. American ranchers and livestock industry players have closely monitored the fly’s progress northward, fearing an infestation that would cost Texas, the biggest U.S. cattle-producing state, about $1.8 billion, according to U.S. estimates.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Faith Novak
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.offthepress.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
