Hunters on Southern Border Advised to Inspect Harvested Game for Signs of Screwworm
The Mexican Federation of Shooting and Hunting (FEMETI) and Safari Club International (SCI) are advising hunters on both sides of the US/Mexico border to be alert for signs of New World Screwworm infection in any wild game they might harvest this hunting season and to take action to help stop its spread.
New World Screwworm, (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a flesh-eating parasite. Screwworm adult flies infect livestock and other warm-blooded animals, such as deer, by laying their eggs in open wounds or around body openings such as the nose, ears or genitalia. Previously eradicated from the United States, Screwworm was recently detected near the Texas border, leading the U.S. to resume a sterile-fly release program and suspend imports of cattle, bison and horses from Mexico.
Screwworm presents an immediate and present threat to domestic livestock industries in both Mexico and the U.S. While detection and treatment are relatively simple for livestock, that is not the case for wildlife species. For this reason, Mexico’s General Directorate of Wildlife, under the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, together with the National Service of Health, Safety and Agro-Food Quality (SENASICA), are coordinating with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), under the USDA, to request that all hunters carefully inspect harvested game animals for any signs of infection.
If you find suspicious lesions or the presence of larvae on an animal you harvest in Mexico, immediately report it to SENASICA at 800-751-2100 or on WhatsApp 5539964462. In the US, contact the National Preparedness and Incident Coordination Center at [email protected]. or your state’s Area Veterinarian in Charge.
Also, hunters are urged to carry a small container to collect larvae. They can be handled safely, as a larva by itself cannot infect you unless it is placed inside a wound. Importantly, do not allow the larvae to fall to the ground where it will borough, become pupae and emerge a fly to lay thousands of eggs and continue the cycle.
For updates on the spread of New World Screwworm, visit the websites of SENASICA and the USDA.
Media Contacts:
Ignacio Manterola Icaza – Head of the Hunting Division, FEMETI
James Shin – Director of Marketing and Communications, SCI