Race against time in US after new case of devastating animal parasite thought to be eradicated for 60 years

The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed a second case of a parasite harmful to livestock in Texas, after a first case discovered earlier this week triggered a race against time to stop its spread, reports AFP.

The ministry “confirmed a second detection of New World screwworm in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, approximately 9 kilometers from the first case,” wrote on X a government account dedicated to monitoring this parasite.

Sixty years after its eradication from American soil, the parasite was detected near the border with Mexico on Wednesday, a resurgence that deeply worries American farmers, especially those in the cattle sector.

The US had eradicated the parasite in 1966

This insect is a type of fly whose larva feeds on the flesh of animals, causing serious and potentially fatal injuries. It can affect cattle, but also wildlife, domestic animals and humans.

The United States managed to eradicate it in 1966, then managed to eliminate a resurgence in southern Florida in 2017.

But the parasite has remained present in South America and has advanced north in recent years, worrying US authorities.

After confirming the first case, the authorities announced a series of measures, including the establishment of a 20-kilometer quarantine zone around the farm where the infestation was detected, but also the release of millions of sterile flies.

Thanks to this technique, the United States managed to get rid of this parasite in the early 1960s.

According to the Department of Agriculture, a resurgence of the parasite could cost $1.8 billion in the state of Texas alone.