A case of New World screwworm has been found in a person who traveled to the U.S. from El Salvador, but the risk to U.S. public health is "very low,” a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said Monday.
The case was confirmed Aug. 4 and is the first travel-associated NWS myiasis – parasitic infection of larvae – identified in the United States.
The Agriculture Department has yet to comment publicly on the detection. USDA is moving to build a sterile fly facility in Texas to combat the pest and the Food and Drug Administration has been authorized to issue emergency use authorizations for animal drugs that can combat New World screwworm infestation.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins once again suspended livestock trade through southern ports of entry in July after NWS was detected about 370 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Bill Bullard, the CEO of cattle producer group R-CALF USA, on Monday criticized the lack of information shared by HHS and USDA with the general public. In a statement, Bullard cited a Reuters report on Sunday indicating only certain beef sector representatives and state veterinarians were notified in the days following confirmation of the case.
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“We are deeply concerned that if the publicly disseminated Reuters report is accurate, including its implication that only select industry participants were timely informed of the detection of this devastating pest in the United States, then our governmental system is fundamentally broken,” Bullard said.
He added, "Without transparency and symmetrical information dissemination to all industry participants – including to producers whose livelihoods could be severely impacted by not receiving information selectively provided to others – there can be no trust between industry participants and the government.”
In the statement, Bullard asked for “a full investigation of this incident” and the creation of a New World Screwworm task force.
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