U.S. Officials have confirmed the first detection of a flesh-eating parasite in American wildlife, prompting expanded surveillance across Texas.
The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that lays eggs in open wounds, was found in an elk harvested by a hunter in Pecos County, Texas, according to a statement released earlier this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The animal was located on a game ranch, and its discovery marks the first time the parasite has been documented in U.S. Wildlife.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the New World screwworm as completing “part of its lifecycle by feeding on the tissue or flesh of warm-blooded animals and people.” The parasites are drawn to wounds as well as body openings including ears, noses, and eyes. Once eggs hatch into maggots, they “eat live tissue, causing a worsening, often painful, and foul-smelling wound,” the CDC notes.
APHIS addressed the finding directly in its announcement: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the first detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in wildlife in the United States, in an elk in Pecos County, TX. The elk was located on a game ranch and was reported after being harvested by a hunter.”
The agency emphasized the importance of public vigilance in containing the outbreak. “This detection highlights the critical role hunters, landowners, outdoor enthusiasts, and wildlife professionals play in helping detect and stop the spread of NWS,” APHIS stated. “Early reporting is one of the most important tools we have to protect wildlife, livestock, and pets in the United States.”
APHIS specifically credited hunters for “making a difference,” noting that those who spend extended time outdoors are frequently the first to encounter infected animals. Their observations, the agency said, are “especially valuable to surveillance and response efforts.”
The Texas Animal Health Commission will adjust a previously established infested zone in response to the elk finding. USDA and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are also conducting additional wildlife surveillance in the surrounding area.
As of October 22, the CDC reported no human cases of New World screwworm in the United States, and the agency characterized the risk to humans as “remains very low.” Nearly 3,000 human infections have occurred in Central America and Mexico, however.
The CDC recommends several protective measures for those spending time outdoors: keeping wounds clean and covered, wearing loose-fitting clothing along with long-sleeved shirts, pants, hats, and socks to minimize exposed skin, and sleeping indoors or in screened rooms or tents.