Livestock Concerns Raised Over Screwworm Infestation

AND HELP CATCH THE DISEASE. EARLY HELLO, I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THE USDA NOW CONFIRMS 5 CASES OF THE FLESH EATING PARA SITE IN TEXAS. IN THE MEANTIME, FLORIDA HAS ENACTED EMERGENCY RESTRICTIONS ON ANIMAL IMPORTS TO TRY TO KEEP THE INSECT FROM ENTERING THE SUNSHINE STATE. THE NEW WORLD FLESH EATING, SCREW WARM, CAN DEVASTATE WARM BLOODED ANIMALS LIKE CATTLE HORSES, AND EVEN PETS. THE THREAT TO HUMANS IS VERY LOW. HOWEVER, THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA ANIMAL EXPERT DOCTOR SALLY DO KNOW THAT TELLS ME IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE PARASITIC FLY CROSSES INTO FLORIDA. SHE SAYS THE OUTBREAK WILL GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER. SHE ALSO EXPECTS IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO ERADICATE AND OUTBREAK ISOLATED IN THE FLORIDA KEYS IN 2016 INFECTED ENDANGERED EAR FOR PETS INCLUDING 3 DOGS AND ONE CAT 130 DEER DIED. THE PET SURVIVE WITH MEDICAL CARE. THE USDA USED A STERILIZATION TECHNIQUES TO OFFICIALLY ERRATIC 8. THE FLY IN 2017 DOWN IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. BUT IT APPEARED IN TEXAS RECENTLY AFTER BEING DISCOVERED ON A CALF U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, BROOKE ROLLINS SAYS THEY ARE URGENTLY WORKING TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS PARASITE EXPEDITED. A TARGETED RELEASE OF STERILE FLIES IN THE AFFECTED AREA TO PREVENT. >> THE PASS FROM REPRODUCING AND ARE INCREASING TRAPPING FOR NEW WORLD. SCREWWORM FLIES ALONG THE BORDER. WE ARE RAMPING UP SURVEILLANCE AND ALSO MANAGEMENT IN OUR WILDLIFE. IN SHORT, WE ARE USING EVERY TOOL AT OUR DISPOSAL TO ELIMINATE THIS THREAT TO OUR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS AND TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. AND WE WILL ACTIVELY KEEP YOU UPDATED. >> TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THIS FLY COULD AFFECT FLORIDA'S LIVESTOCK. I'M JOINED BY DOCTOR SALLY DID NOT A CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT UF COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. INSPECTORS HAVE NOW REPORTED THERE WAS AN INFECTED CALF THAT WAS FOUND IN TEXAS. NOW THERE ARE 4 CASES IN TEXAS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THIS IS TRANSMITTED? >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND INDEED, AS OF THIS MORNING WE HAVE. >> 3 BOVINE CASES IN YOUNG YOUNG CAPS AND THEN THIS MORNING THEY ACTUALLY REPORTED A CASE IN A DOG ALL WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A FLY LARVA. AND SO THE ADULT FLIES LAY THEIR EGGS IN OPEN WOUNDS OR SORES OR ANY OPEN TISSUE AND THEN THEY HACKED INTO THESE FLESH EATING. LARVAL STAGE. THAT CAN BE REALLY QUITE DETRIMENTAL TO THE HOST. SO IT'S SPREAD BY THE FLY ACTUALLY TRAVELING FROM ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT IN ORDER TO LAY THEIR EGGS ON AND ON A ONEBLOOD HOST. >> WHY IS THIS SO ALARMING THAT WE HAVE NOW FOUND 4 CONFIRMED CASES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS >> SO THIS IS A DISEASE THAT CAN HAVE REALLY DELETERIOUS EFFECTS ON LIVESTOCK. IT'S IT'S PAINFUL. IT'S QUITE BOTHERSOME TO THEM. IT CAN. VERY QUICKLY RESULT IN REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY AND IT CAN ACTUALLY KILL THE HOST AS WELL BECAUSE THE INFECTIONS CAN BE QUITE DEEP AND EXTENSIVE AND REALLY AFFECT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. AND SO THAT THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS CERTAINLY ON THE LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY HERE IN THE U.S. AND THEN ALSO FROM A QUALITY OF LIFE CAN POINT US FOR ALL SPECIES OF ANIMALS. WE ARE ADVOCATED THIS DISEASE FROM THE U.S. IN THE 60'S AND HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED NEW WORLD SCREWWORM FREE SENSE THEN AND SO THE FACT THAT THE DISEASE HAS AND AND THE FLY POPULATION HAS SLOWLY CREPT NORTHWARD FROM THROUGH THE DARIEN GAP AROUND PANAMA WHERE IT HAD BEEN CONTAINED FOR THE LAST 60 YEARS UP THROUGH CENTRAL AMERICA AND UP THROUGH MEXICO AND HAS NOW CROSSED OUR BORDERS REPRESENTS A REALLY BIG CHANGE IN JUST THE OVERALL RISK AND STATUS OF THAT DISEASE, TOO. THIS COUNTRY. >> LIVESTOCK, OF COURSE, IS A MAJOR INDUSTRY IN FLORIDA AS WELL. WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR OUR CATTLE AND HORSES? >> WELL, THERE'S CERTAINLY ALSO SUSCEPTIBLE ON. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, WE HAVE ACTIVE CASES. NOW. I WE WILL ERADICATE THIS DISEASE AGAIN. BUT THE TIME THAT IT TAKES TO DO SO AND AT WHAT COST REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW QUICKLY ANIMAL PRODUCERS, ANIMAL OWNERS, RANCHERS CAN IDENTIFY CASES AND TREAT THEM IN CONCERT WITH THE USDA AND AND REGULATORY VETERINARY MEDICINE. BUT AS FAR AS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL, THERE WAS A LETTER WRITTEN IN LAST YEAR ON BEHALF OF ABOUT 175 DIFFERENT LIVESTOCK, STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY ESTIMATED THAT THE ANNUAL IMPACT COULD BE UP TO 4 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND AND AND REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON HOW LONG IT TAKES TO ERADICATE. >> AND IT CAN BE ERADICATED IT AS IT WAS IN FLORIDA IN 2016, 2017 WIN. IT. THERE WAS AN INFESTATION DOWN IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. HOW DO THEY ERADICATE THIS INSECT? >> THIS IS THE GOOD PART OF THE STORY. THERE IS A BIOLOGIC CONTROL MECHANISM THAT IS ELOQUENT AND EFFECTIVE, WHICH THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE OF THE WORLD, VARIOUS BIOLOGICAL CONTROL, MECH MECHANISMS ARE METHODS OFTEN HAVE SOME SORT OF OFF TARGET EFFECTS. AND THIS DID NOT THEY THEY THIS TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT THEY KNOW THE NEW WORLD SCREWWORM FLY ONLY MATE ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME AND THEN THEY DIE. AND SO IF WE ARE 88 MALE FLIES AND RELEASED THEM, THEY MATE WITH THE FEMALES AND PRODUCED NO PROGENY AND THE LIFE CYCLE ESSENTIALLY HALTS RIGHT THERE. AND THEN AND SO THROUGH TARGETED DISPERSAL OF MILLIONS, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF IRRADIATED FLIES. THIS DISEASE WAS ACTUALLY REMOVED FROM THE U.S. REMOVED FROM CENTRAL AMERICA. MEXICO AND PUSHED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PANAMA WHERE IT HAS BEEN KEPT AT BAY THROUGH. REGULAR RELEASE OF STERILE FLIES FOR DECADES. NOW, DR WAS THE RISK TO HUMANS. SO WE, TOO, ARE WARM BLOODED ANIMALS. AND SO WE ARE BIOLOGICALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO NEW WORLD SCREWWORM INFECTION AND HUMAN INFECTIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THEY'RE PRETTY RARE, THOUGH. AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF CERTAINLY A PERSON. ACCIDENTALLY ACQUIRING ARE AT OR INQUIRING AFFECTION AND NOT REALIZING IT AND NOT GETTING VERY PROMPT TREATMENT, AT LEAST IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD BE REALLY PRETTY UNLIKELY. SO CERTAINLY. PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF ANY ONES THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN ANYONE'S WITH OBVIOUS LARVAL ACTIVITY IN THEIR ANIMALS OR THEMSELVES WOULD PROMPT AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN OR YOUR HUMAN PHYSICIAN. BUT I DON'T WANT TO OVER EMPHASIZE NECESSARILY AND CREATE PANIC IN IN PEOPLE. WE ARE SUSCEPTIBLE BUT INFECTION IS VERY RARE. >> WHAT IS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR CATTLE RANCHERS. >> IN FLORIDA CURRENTLY. TO BE COMMUNICATING WITH THEIR VETERINARIAN. CERTAINLY SO IDENTIFYING ANY INFECTED ANIMAL, ANY ANIMAL THAT HAS A NON HEALING WOUND, ANY ANIMAL THAT LOOKS PARTICULARLY BOTHERED BY A WOUND THAT THEY MAY HAVE THESE THESE INFECTIONS ARE REALLY PAINFUL BECAUSE THE WORM ACTUALLY FEEDS ON LIVE TISSUE, NOT NOT JUST DEAD TISSUE. AND SO THEY'RE THEY'RE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. AND SO ANIMALS THAT SEEM OVERLY UPSET OR BOTHERED OR RESTLESS. THOSE ARE ALL KIND OF CLASSIC SIGNS OF A OF A SCREW WORM INFECTION. THE RANCHER COULD CALL THEIR VETERINARIAN. THEY CAN ACTUALLY COLLECT SOME OF THE INSECTS. SEND THEM OFF TO THE FEDERAL LAB. IN IOWA FOR IDENTIFICATION. THERE IS A WAY TO IDENTIFY THE STERILE FLIES FROM THE ACTUAL WILD INFECTIVE FLIES. IF THEY CATCH FLIES THEM AND THOSE CAN BE DIFFERENTIATED. THE LARVA CAN BE IDENTIFIED AS WELL. AND IF IT ISN'T IN TRUE NEW WORLD SCREWWORM INFECTION, THEN THAT PARTICULAR ANIMAL WOULD BE ISOLATED AND TREATED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND EXPERTISE TODAY. YEAH, THANK YOU. >> HERE'S MORE ABOUT THE PARASITIC FLESH. EATING FLY FROM THE WGCU NEWSROOM. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS THE USDA IS BUILDING A FACTORY IN SOUTHERN TEXAS THAT CAN PRODUCE UP TO 300 MILLION STERILE FLIES A WEEK TO HELP CONTROL THE POPULATION. THE FACILITY IS EXPECTED TO OPEN IN 2027 FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THIS STORY AND MORE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS. 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