TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — Utah officials are assuring residents that they are prepared after the first New World screwworm detection in decades was confirmed this week.
The lone New World screwworm was confirmed in Texas, near the southern border, and remains the only case confirmed in the U.S.
In a notice shared across the state, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food said there is no current public health or food safety issue in connection with the Texas discovery, but they are ready to "take action and eliminate it."
New World screwworm is a fly whose larvae invade warm-blooded hosts via open wounds and lesions, the UDAF shared. The latest case was discovered in a 3-week-old calf in LaPryor, Texas.
Screwworm fly detected in Texas decades after cattle threat was largely eradicated in US:
The agency said it, along with departments in other states, has been preparing since last year for the possibility of New World screwworm, and has a plan should it be introduced into Utah.
“The U.S. has eradicated this fly before and we will do it again,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Amanda Price. “The keys to eradication are rapid detection, compliance with quarantine and movement restrictions, delaying procedures, and sterile fly release.”
Dog and pet owners looking to bring animals from Texas into Utah are now required to get a health certificate from a veterinarian before doing so, while requirements for other animals have not changed.
