Agriculture and Natural Resources Blog

The New World screwworm has been making headlines lately, and in Texas, it’s top of mind for many. In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended importations of cattle, horses and bison from Mexico into the U.S. to prevent New World screwworm movement north following detection in Veracruz, Mexico.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts have released an updated fact sheet publication about the New World screwworm to provide Texans with key information.

Texas is no stranger to the New World screwworm, but it’s been about 50 years since the fly wreaked havoc in the Lone Star state. The fly is most notorious for laying eggs in open wounds of living, warm-blooded animals. Then, once hatched, the larvae feed on the living tissue of the host.

The screwworm larvae, or maggots, feed off the living tissue of mammals. (Heather Walden/University of Florida).