By A second flesh-eating screwworm has been found in Texas. Officials with Texas Parks and Wildlife say another case of the parasite was found in a calf in Zavala County, southwest of San Antonio. It’s the second case this week after being eradicated in Texas about 60 years ago. The Screwworm Fly lays eggs in orifices and open wounds on animals, and when the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the animals’ flesh, which could kill the animal. Experts warn that a widespread outbreak could cost the Texas cattle industry nearly two-billion dollars annually. State and federal officials have placed a 12-mile quarantine around the affected area.
Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World screw-worm fly, or screw-worm for short, is a species of parasitic fly that is well known for the way in which its larvae (maggots) eat the living tissue. (Shutterstock)
