MN Board of Animal Health Monitoring U.S. Case of New World Screwworm

(Learfield News/St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is closely monitoring the first U.S. case of New World Screwworm in 60 years in Texas.

The flesh-eating parasite was found on a three-week-old calf.

Senior Veterinarian Katie Cornille says,“It’s definitely something that’s worth maintaining awareness around. The fly itself doesn’t fly very far.  So, we don’t expect it to immediately fly all the way from Texas to here.” She says animal movements are the greatest risks that they think about.

The screwworm’s larval stage, or the maggot, eats the living flesh of warm-blooded animals.

She says it can also infect dogs, cats, and other pets.