Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on June 8 said he activated the state’s emergency response center after several cases of the flesh-eating New World screwworm were discovered in animals in recent days.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on June 8 confirmed two more cases—including one in a calf and another in a dog—in Texas. Later, the department said that the dog currently lives in New Mexico, while the veterinarian who reported that case is located in Texas.
Cases of screwworm, a type of fly that has parasitic larvae, had not been reported in Texas since the 1960s.
“I have activated the full use of all state resources to respond to the New World Screwworm threat,” Abbott said in a statement announcing the emergency response center….