Flesh-eating parasite case detected in US as authorities take 'immediate action'
Topics: US News, Health, Animals, Food and Drink
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: Christian Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images
Topics: US News, Health, Animals, Food and Drink
A case of a flesh-eating parasitic fly has been spotted in Texas, the US Department of Agriculture has confirmed.
The flies were previously spotted close to the US southern border with Mexico last week, and one case has been spotted in a calf in Texas.
Larvae of the insect were found in the umbilical cord of the three-week-old calf in Zala County, and the Department of Agriculture has said it is beginning measures to contain the spread of the insects.
The insect in question is the New World Screwworm, the larvae of a fly which can invest the flesh of living warmblooded animals.
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Mostly the maggots affect livestock and sometimes pets, but can also affect people in some rare cases.
They get into the body of a host through an open wound, where they then feed on the animal's flesh while it's still alive, and if untreated they will eventually kill the host.
While cases involving people directly are rare, the parasites can be devastating to livestock, with a severe outbreak even having the potential to affect the supply of beef across the US according to experts.
In a statement shared on the website of the US Department of Agriculture, Dudley Hoskins, the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, said that officials had been anticipating the parasites arriving in the US.
He said: “All models showed New World Screwworm entering the country in 2025; however, thanks to the hard work across the entire Trump administration and our industry, state, and local partners, we were able to buy time for this moment.
"Protecting our livestock industry is a national security issue of the utmost importance, and USDA is wasting no time in taking action."
He added: “USDA invested heavily in the tools needed to eliminate NWS ever since cases started increasing in Central America and Mexico. The United States has defeated this pest before, and we will do it again.”
The US Department of Agriculture has also clarified that the parasites do not affect meat after the animals has been slaughtered.
They also do not impact 'fruits, vegetables, or other food sources' according to the department, while all 'eligible animal species' must be inspected by personnel from the Food Safety Inspection Service 'unless they are exempt or covered by a state inspection program'.
Texas representative Don McLaughlin has also addressed the incident in a post on social media, writing: "If this case is confirmed I will stand lock step with every local, state and federal agency to work together and fight this horror."