Texas revised a quarantine covering parts of two counties after New World screwworm was found in an elk, outlining movement rules for animal owners as officials expand wildlife surveillance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it was the first confirmed U.S. wildlife case in the current outbreak. A hunter killed the female elk on a game ranch in Pecos County. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said a federal laboratory identified the parasite in a sample from the animal.
The Texas Animal Health Commission issued the revised order Oct. 21 for parts of Pecos and Terrell counties. Warm-blooded animals leaving Infested Zone 08.B must be inspected and have a movement permit or certificate. Treatment is required when the commission directs it.
The order also covers hides, carcasses and other animal parts. They must be inspected before removal, and a commission representative can require treatment. The commission said the quarantine aims to protect animals and limit the parasite’s spread.
Screwworm fly larvae feed on living tissue, threatening livestock, wildlife and pets. The USDA eradicated the parasite from the United States in 1966. A later outbreak infected Key deer in the Florida Keys in 2016 and was eliminated in 2017, according to a USDA report. The Texas elk is therefore the first U.S. wildlife case of the current outbreak, rather than the first recorded in the country.
The USDA and Texas wildlife officials are conducting additional surveillance in the area. Officials have urged hunters to report animals with maggots in wounds, worsening injuries or signs of distress.
