New World screwworm

NCBA Shares details on the efforts to eradicate New World Screwworm

Dale Sandlin Beef, Cattle, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA)

New World screwworm
New World screwworm (NWS, Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a devastating pest. When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, people.
Courtesy of USDA/APHIS

With the new world screwworm’s northward expansion towards the United States, USDA has developed a strategy to curtail their movements using sterile flies. Ethan Lane, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association shares insights on the efforts to eradicate this harmful pest and the challenges that have been experienced so far.