NPPC Comments on USDA Plan to Address New World Screwworm

By Abbey Canon

What happened: NPPC submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s draft response plan for a new world screwworm detection in the United States. NPPC’s feedback addressed areas of the response including movement controls and movements to slaughter, treatment, and physical examinations, among others.

NWS is a flesh-eating parasite from female flies that lay eggs in wounds on warm-blooded animals, including pigs and people. According to USDA, animals that recently have given birth, suffered an injury, or had a surgical procedure such as tail docking or branding are most vulnerable. Even tick bites can attract NWS flies.

The disease has moved from South America through Central America and into Mexico over the past few years, with a case recently being identified in cattle a few hundred miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border. It is endemic in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and some South American countries.

In May, USDA closed the U.S. southern border to imports of cattle from Mexico to prevent NWS from entering the United States. USDA unveiled plans in August that included building a sterile fly production facility in south Texas, investing in new technologies to eradicate NWS, and increasing surveillance at U.S. ports of entry.