Following the discovery of flesh-eating screwworms in calves this week, Canada’s food inspection agency has declared a temporary embargo on cattle from the US state of Texas. According to an agency news release, cows and horses that were in Texas at any point in the 21 days prior to entering Canada would not be permitted entry.
The discovery follows the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) confirmation that a second calf in Texas, the country’s top producer of cattle and beef, had the parasite. Due to the “imminent threat” the epidemic posed, Texas Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed a state of disaster on Friday. Over the summer, this is probably going to spread,” Abbott told reporters on Friday.
The females of the parasitic fly known as the New World Screwworm deposit their eggs in the mucous membranes and open wounds of warm-blooded animals and humans. When the eggs hatch, hundreds of larvae with sharp teeth tunnel through living flesh, killing their host if left untreated.
Texas discovered its first case in 60 years in a three-week-old calf on Wednesday, according to US officials. The larvae were discovered in the calf’s umbilical region. About 30 miles (48 km) from the Mexican border, in the hamlet of La Pryor, the find was made.
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