Second case of flesh-eating parasite reemerges in South Texas cattle, Rollins warns
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A flesh-eating parasite long thought to have been eradicated from the United States has reemerged in South Texas, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned Sunday, saying farmers face a “really scary time” as officials try to contain the outbreak.
“We have our eye on cattle in South Texas,” Rollins told “The Big Weekend Show.” “Once we identify that, we can address it, so reporting that is very important.”
Rollins’ remarks came after two confirmed cases of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that feeds on the living tissues of warm-blooded animals, raised concerns about the consequences of previous open border policies and illegal cattle movement.
“We have to go back south of the border, to the Darién Gap, and eliminate this once and for all, and we are doing that,” Rollins added.
EXCLUSIVE: CATTLE INDUSTRY CHIEF WARNES THAT FLESH-Eating Flies THREAT U.S. HERDS AS MEXICO STRIPS PEST CONTROL
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Texas Governor Greg Abbott address the New World screwworm threat in Texas during a news conference at the Texas State Capitol. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“We’re building all the infrastructure to make this happen.”
Rollins attributed the development to the Biden administration’s loose border policies; He said these policies allowed the parasite to move a little closer to the U.S. southern border in 2021 and 2022, giving the Mexican cartel and cattle movement an opportunity to “break through.”[ing] Darién Pass.”
“Of course the last administration did nothing about this,” he said.
A CASE OF MEAT-EATING PARASITE HAS BEEN DETECTED IN US TRAVELERS RETURNING FROM CENTRAL AMERICA
The New World screwworm fly Cochliomyia hominivorax is a parasitic species known for its living tissue-consuming larvae. (Getty Images)
“Someone pitched all this to me when we came in at the beginning of last year and said, ‘All the models show it’s going to happen in America last summer,’ and I said, ‘We’ve got to contain it, keep it out and prepare to the point where we’re ready if it hits,’ and here we are today.“
Infertile flies that mate with female screwworms are “the only way to beat” the spread, Rollins said, adding that about 10 million sterile flies are being “put down” a week in Texas.
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However, the official added that the affected animals are expected to be fine and the food supply will not be affected, and noted that screwworm is not a virus. Rollins also said the risk to humans is historically low and dismissed Americans’ concerns.
“If you have an open wound and you’re marching in caravans, some people who aren’t in America are affected, but it won’t affect our country and our people.”
