AUSTIN, Texas (CN) – Federal officials leading the charge against the spread of New World screwworm in Texas met with state lawmakers at the state Capitol on Thursday to discuss strategies for stopping the spread of the parasite.
The meeting before the House Agriculture and Livestock Committee came just two weeks after the first reported case of screwworm was discovered in South Texas.
“For Texas, this is no longer a distant concern,” state Rep. Ryan Guillen, a Rio Grande City Republican and committee chairman, said in an opening statement.
“The recent discovery and confirmation of 11 cases within our state borders has transformed what was once viewed as an alien pest into a clear and present threat to our livestock industries, our wildlife populations, our companion animals, our landowners and rural communities whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and wildlife resources,” he said.
Contrary to its name, New World screwworms are fly worms that feed on the sensitive tissues of livestock, wildlife, domestic animals and, in rare cases, humans. If left untreated, cases can turn fatal.
US Department of Agriculture Associate Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Michael Schmoyertold the committee that the agency has been working closely with its state partners to increase surveillance of domestic and wild animals.
“Wildlife cases will be reported if discovered,” Schmoyer said. “So far, none have been found. This likely supports the evidence that the actual fruit fly population in the United States is very small.”
Despite that glimmer of good news, Schmoyer — along with Dudley Hoskins, the USDA’s undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, and Timothy Schell, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine — told lawmakers that too much is being done within their agencies to help the New World state’s crime spree.
One tool that many of the lawmakers on the panel were interested in was the use of ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, to strengthen animals’ resistance to the larvae.
During an earlier panel, Charles Eckel, a partner in Lyssy and Eckel Feeds – a feed manufacturer – spoke about the purpose of the company to obtain emergency approval from the FDA to use the drug in animal and wildlife feed.
While complementary to the work of Lyssy and Eckel, Schell expressed trepidation about the idea, saying the FDA has not fully evaluated the use of ivermectin as a food.
“I’m not saying ivermectin doesn’t work,” Schell said. “What I’m saying is that we haven’t fully appreciated it in this particular way.”
Guillen went on to question whether the use of ivermectin in wildlife populations could impair the response to the screwworm, which Schell said it could, due to the parasites developing a resistance to the drug.
Lawmakers also discussed the possibility of releasing male flies that have been sterilized after being irradiated as pupae. Sterilization has been a key method of controlling worm populations throughout North America, including in the late 1960s when the United States officially declared the indigenous worms were gone.
Schmoyer repeatedly told the committee that the need for more sterile flies could not be understated. While many projects are underway to increase the US supply of sterile flies, Screwworm Barrier Maintenance Program in Pacora, Panama—a joint program run by the USDA and Panama’s Ministry of Agricultural Development—has become an increasingly important asset to the Lone Star State.
In addition, private industry has taken note of the need for sterile flies and looked for ways to intervene. Nathan Moses-Gonzales, CEO of M3 Agricultural Technologiesa company specializing in the sterilization of pest insects, told the committee that with public and private financial support, his company could increase the supply of sterile flies in the hemisphere.
In addition to hearing from federal and private partners, the committee also heard from the heads of state agencies coordinating the state’s response to New World worms.
One message federal and state agency officials had for the general public was to remain vigilant and report any suspected cases.
USDA’s website that provides information on the New World Screwworm directs people in Texas to report possible cases in livestock Texas Animal Health Commission and report cases in wildlife to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Anyone who suspects their pet may be infected is encouraged to visit a veterinarian.
Earlier in the day, Texas Governor Greg Abbott DESIGNATED several Texas universities as recipients of grants from the USDA to strengthen efforts to detect and eradicate parasitic larvae.
“Texas is no stranger to the threat of the New World screwworm, and we are prepared to remove this threat from our state for good,” Abbott said. “These grants will empower Texans on the front lines to eradicate screwworm and protect our livestock industry.”
As of Thursday, the USDA reported 12 confirmed detections of the New World hookworm in seven counties in Texas and one in New Mexico, it said. online dashboard.
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