New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service officials are collaborating with the New Mexico Livestock Board and New Mexico Department of Agriculture to monitor the possible return of a pest that is harmful to animals and have resources to help agricultural producers and the community understand the situation.
In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture stopped animal imports from the southern border because new cases of the New World Screwworm were found in two Mexican states, Oaxaca and Veracruz. The effort is meant to protect the country’s food supply and livestock. Screwworm was eradicated from the United States in the late 1950s and 1960s.
New World Screwworm looks like an ordinary housefly but can seriously harm animals. The pest is especially dangerous because it feeds on healthy, living tissue and larvae grow inside fresh wounds.
NMSU’s Department of Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources will host a webinar on the pest at 12 p.m. Tuesday, July 22. The event is free on Zoom and will share the latest information on prevention and defense, reporting, testing and treatment.
“We are wanting to educate as many as we can about the New World Screwworm so that we can detect this nasty pest if it does migrate this far north. It doesn’t just affect livestock but household pets as well,” said Tom Dean, Extension Southwest District director.
Two recent publications, “New World Screwworm: What You Need To Know” by Marcy Ward, Extension livestock specialist, and “New World Screwworm and Livestock Border Closures: A Guide for New Mexico Livestock Producers” by Jason Banegas, Extension economist and statewide forecasting specialist, offer detailed information. Ward’s publication also is available in Spanish.
If New World Screwworm is suspected, take photos of wounds and consult a veterinarian. Remove all the larvae, clean the wound and isolate the animal. Samples can be sent for analysis. Contact the New Mexico Department of Agriculture Veterinary Diagnostic Services at 505-383-9299 or local Extension office for sample submission guidance.
To learn more about Extension resources, visit extension.nmsu.edu.