U.S. Equestrian announced Thursday that the first U.S. equine case of New World screwworm this century was detected September 9 on the hind limb of a working ranch horse in Presidio County.
The Texas Animal Health Commission signed a quarantine order Wednesday covering parts of Presidio and Jeff Davis counties. The commission’s order dates the detection to September 8, one day earlier than U.S. Equestrian’s account.
“Because the larvae feed on living tissue, even small cuts or sores should be cleaned, protected, and checked closely until they are fully healed,” U.S. Equestrian said.
What the quarantine means for horse travel
TAHC’s live status page Friday listed New World screwworm cases in 17 Texas counties across 39 premises. Separate movement restrictions covered designated zones in parts of 16 counties. Those figures do not mean all 17 counties face countywide quarantines.
Current movement restrictions cover zones within Bandera, Brewster, Crockett, Edwards, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Schleicher, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde and Zapata counties.
State orders bar any warm-blooded animal inside an infested zone from moving outside that zone without prior TAHC authorization. A horse headed from a zone to a competition, rodeo, sale or another ranch must meet the same exit rules.
TAHC guidance tells owners to contact a region inspector or certified inspector at least two days before a non-slaughter move. An authorized inspector must examine the horse within five days before travel, verify its official identification and issue a movement certificate after the horse receives an approved systemic treatment. Interstate travel also requires a certificate of veterinary inspection.
Officials will not authorize horses with open wounds to leave until the wounds heal. TAHC also bars animals carrying larvae from moving until they have been properly treated and their wounds have healed.
Owners should check an address on the state map before arranging travel because the restricted zones cover only portions of counties and can change through new or release orders.
USEF events add another layer
U.S. Equestrian separately treats Texas as an infested state for its licensed competitions. Its protocols define a horse from an infested state as one physically present there during the previous 14 days. Event personnel must inspect those horses for wounds before they enter stabling areas, including horses hauled in only for the day.
If inspectors find a wound, a competition veterinarian must examine it for larvae. The horse must carry documentation of treatment with an authorized product or receive treatment at the venue. Any horse with a wound must be inspected daily for seven days. Any horse leaving a TAHC zone still must satisfy the state requirements before it reaches the show grounds.
Rodeo and sale operators should check TAHC and event-specific rules before accepting horses from restricted zones.
What owners should watch for
A female New World screwworm fly lays eggs in an animal’s wound or body opening. The larvae hatch and burrow into living tissue, which can enlarge the wound, cause secondary infection and kill the animal without treatment.
USDA confirmed the current outbreak’s first U.S. case June 3 in a Zavala County calf, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Federal officials eradicated the parasite from the United States in 1966 and eliminated a smaller Florida Keys outbreak in 2017.
TAHC warns that an untreated infestation can kill an animal within one week. Owners should look for wounds, swelling, drainage, foul odors, irritation or maggots, particularly around the nose, ears, eyes, mouth, genital areas and the navels of newborn animals.
TAHC says suspected cases should be reported within 24 hours. Owners can contact their veterinarian, a TAHC region office or the agency’s veterinarian on call at 1-800-550-8242.
Provided by Dallas Express
