On June 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed that New World screwworm was detected in a calf in Texas. Days later, the state expanded an emergency disaster declaration due to the threat the outbreak poses to the Texas cattle industry. As of June 11, a total of 12 infestations have been detected in livestock in Texas, along with one case in a New Mexico dog. New World screwworm was eliminated in the U.S. in 1966, but has been expanding into North America in recent years, due in part to warming temperatures.
Many online commenters blamed funding and staffing cuts at federal health agencies for screwworm’s return to the U.S. and expressed a lack of confidence in the Trump administration’s ability to contain the outbreak. Some suggested, without evidence, that the infestations are part of a plot to destroy the beef industry, while others expressed concern about the parasite threatening pets and raising beef prices.
Recommendation
Online conversations about New World screwworm infestations reveal distrust in federal health agencies and confusion about the parasite, how it spreads, and who is at risk. Messaging may explain that the parasite—which is not a worm but the larva of the screwworm fly—hatches from eggs laid in open wounds and eats the surrounding flesh, causing severe and life-threatening injuries if untreated. Emphasizing that screwworms are typically found in open wounds in wild animals and livestock and that human cases are uncommon and treatable is recommended, as is noting that officials say the risk to the general public is “very low.”
Communicators may share information about keeping pets safe, including checking for open wounds and sores; keeping pets’ skin clean and free of pests; and recognizing the symptoms of a screwworm infestation, including painful wounds and sores that don’t heal, foul-smelling or prone to bleeding sores, and the presence of maggots or movement in wounds or body openings, such as the ears and nose.
Fact-checking sources: Texas Tribune, University of Missouri Extension
