ORLANDO, Fla. – After sparking fears about a resurgence in Florida, the New World Screwworm (NWS) has prompted an emergency rule in the state, according to the FDACS.
In a release, state officials said that the NWS was detected in South Texas, putting the spread even closer to the Sunshine State.
In response, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson issued an Emergency Rule to increase restrictions on bringing warm-blooded animals into Florida from designated infestation zones and “high-risk areas.”
“We are going to need a unified front from the government, our agriculture community, and the public to respond to this threat,” Simpson said.
WHAT ARE NEW WORLD SCREWWORMS?
Per experts, the NWS are maggots that often enter animals through open wounds, feeding on an animal’s living flesh. As a result, infestations can be fatal if not treated.
“The New World Screwworm — a destructive parasite that targets warm-blooded animals — was eradicated from the U.S. more than four decades ago," state officials announced. “Its return would pose a serious threat to livestock, wildlife, and domestic animals, particularly in states like Florida with warm climates and abundant animal populations.”
Experts state that screwworm eggs are deposited in a “shingle-like manner” at the edges of superficial wounds, with larvae feeding by burrowing into the wound like a screw — hence the name.
While the NWS had been present in the southwestern U.S. since at least 1842, it was first documented as a major problem in 1933 after shipments of infested animals came in from the region.
At the time, the federal government and the state of Florida began developing tactics to deal with the threat, such as education programs, special insecticides, and radiation to sterilize the insects.
But in the meantime, producers lost out on tens of millions of dollars each year as the NWS ravaged livestock, data shows.
Eventually, the U.S. and Mexico worked together to push these infestations down to the southern borders of Mexico in 1986.
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There was a brief reemergence in the Florida Keys affecting the endangered Key deer back in 2016, though the outbreak was ultimately eradicated.
However, Florida officials said that infestations have been spreading north from Panama since 2023, culminating in the discovery of NWS in a bovine in South Texas this week.
WHAT ARE THE EMERGENCY RULES?
To prevent the NWS from infiltrating Florida again, Simpson’s emergency rule imposes temporary restrictions on the importation of warm-blooded animals originating from certain high-risk and infested areas.
The latest guidelines are as follows:
Federal officials said that the USDA and Texas are implementing quarantines as necessary and working to release sterile NWS flies to fight potential population growth.
Meanwhile, signs of screwworm infestation in animals include the following symptoms:
- Wounds in living animals infested with maggots
- Blood-tinged discharge from the infested wounds
- Foul odor
- Discomfort
- Depressed/no eating
- Decreased milk production
- Seclusion from rest of herd or flock
If you come across a suspected case of screwworms or have questions about potential infestations, you can call the FDACS at (850) 410-0900 or click here.