07/12/2025
๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค!
Screwworms arenโt your average parasite. Theyโre the larval stage of the New World screwworm fly (๐๐ฐ๐ค๐ฉ๐ญ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ช๐ข ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ท๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐น), which lays its eggs in wounds or moist body openings. Once hatched, the larvae burrow deep into the flesh, causing extreme pain, tissue death, and systemic infection. While the U.S. eradicated screwworms in the 1980s, but now outbreaks are happening again just south of the Texas border. Texas officials are on high alert, and so are we.
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ โ๐ด๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎโ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ธ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ท๐ข๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฉ.
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ:
โข Wounds that worsen instead of healing
โข Dark, oozing, foul-smelling drainage
โข Visible maggots in a wound
โข Swelling, lethargy, or signs of shock
โข Wounds on the face, ge****ls, or umbilicus (common sites for infestation)
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐!
Keep all wounds clean and monitor healing closely, especially during fly season. Donโt ignore small cuts, branding sores, castration sites, or umbilical cords in newborns. We can recommend fly control and topical care to help deter egg-laying.
๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ:
Do not flush or treat it alone. Call us immediately. Screwworm cases must be reported to state and federal authorities. Weโll help confirm the diagnosis, clean and debride the wound properly, and coordinate with officials if needed. This isnโt common, but itโs serious.
๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ง๐
xxvets.com โฆ (940) 514-9500
Sources:
Houston Chronicle, AP News, AAHA.org, USDA, Midland Reporter-Telegram
