Gov. Abbott signed the declaration over concerns about the New World Screwworm Fly. The dangerous parasite affects warm-blooded hosts, from livestock, pets, and humans, by laying its eggs in open wounds. The larvae can cause terrible damage, and death, when they hatch.
The good news is the Screwworm Fly hasn’t been detected in the U.S. yet but the declaration came because it’s spreading north from Mexico toward the U.S. border.
Tracy Tomasik, associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities at Texas Farm Bureau, told American Family News the concern is over added agriculture costs, not safety.
"It's not a food safety issue,” he clarified.
The main concern is economic because livestock producers must treat their animals for the parasite, adding an additional cost to raising their livestock for market.
"That declaration, in real world terms, really opens up additional funding and resources that the agencies responsible for responding to New World Screwworm manifestation are going to need,” he advised.
