Texas Farm Bureau to Host Meeting on Screwworm Threat

The state director of the Texas Farm Bureau will host an informational meeting on Monday, June 23 at 7 p.m. to address the looming threat of the New World Screwworm, an invasive parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals.

The meeting will be held at the North Central Texas College cafeteria at 928 Cherry Street in Graham.

Texas Farm Bureau State Director and veterinarian Dr. Greg Buenger will lead the presentation, aimed at livestock producers, veterinarians, and concerned citizens.

The infestation presents a serious threat to animal health and the economy, and Dr. Buenger said he will address prevention and treatment strategies as well as misinformation about the blowfly..

The New World Screwworm, once eradicated from the United States in the 1960s after a decades-long sterilized fly release program, is again on the move—migrating northward through Central America and now within 600 miles of the Texas border, he said.

The larvae, laid by green bottle flies, infest wounds and feed on living flesh, causing devastating damage to livestock, horses, and wildlife, he said.

The pest is now north of Oaxaca, Mexico and could reach Texas by August, he said.

The original eradication relied on radiation-sterilized male flies produced in facilities in Mission, Texas and Pacora, Panama, but both facilities had halted production by 2012, he said.

Now, U.S. officials are scrambling to restart suppression efforts, and U.S. agriculture officials have banned cattle imports from Mexico..

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about identifying the pest, treatment protocols, and what policy steps are being taken to halt its spread.

Admission is free and the event is open to the public..