Screwworm outbreak to impact livestock, could cost US $1.8 billion. How?

Screwworm outbreak can impact livestock in the US. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has now estimated that it could affect the economy in Texas, which is the biggest cattle-producing state. The losses could amount to $1.8 billion in livestock deaths, medication and the cost of labour involved. The cattle herd size in the country is currently the slimmest in seventy years. The country had eradicated screwworms in the 1960s and now it has recorded the first human case, which is a rare occurrence. These are maggot-like worms that infest the host, and as they drill through the animal's body like a screw into wood, that's how they get their name.

Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, along with other government officials, travelled to Texas to announce plans to build a sterile fly facility. This would help ward off the pests.

What are screwworms?

Screwworms are parasitic flies which usually feed on warm-blooded animals; if untreated, can be fatal. The female flies lay eggs in wounds on animals. And once the eggs hatch, the larvae then begin digging through the host animal's body.

These parasitic flies are similar to maggots, and their activity seems like a screw being driven into wood. They usually feed on cattle and wildlife; infestations in humans is a rarity, but once they attack, it can turn fatal.