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NCBA CEO: Screwworm Likely to be in US Later this Summer

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

In a story from the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB), Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), says the screwworm, a parasitic pest, is likely to cross the southern border of the United States later this summer.

NCBA CEO: Screwworm Likely to be in U.S. Later this Summer

“It’s no longer a question of whether we see a return of the new world screwworms in the U.S., it’s a matter of when”, Woodall said. Probably sometime later this summer.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told the House Ag Committee last week that she will make a major announcement soon concerning the next preventative steps.

Dale Sandlin reporting for Southeast AgNet.