New World Screwworm Fly. Courtesy/NMSU

NMWF News:

New World Screwworm is on the move and New Mexico officials are asking hunters to be on the lookout for any sign it has infested the state’s wildlife populations.

Dr. Sean McCartney, a veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, will give a free presentation on the screwworm, its lifecycle and the threat it poses to wildlife Nov. 12 in Albuquerque. His talk is the latest presentation under the New Mexico Wildlife Federation’s (NMWF) “Wildlife Wednesday” series, held on the second Wednesday of each month.

“We think that wildlife will be one of the earliest signs of infestation in an area,” McCartney said. “And wildlife can be a great way for it to propagate in an area and remain in an area for a long time. And so, we rely on hunters and the messaging to hunters to be on the lookout for things like that because often that’s the best way to at least have surveillance in an area to get an idea of what the wildlife look like.”

The screwworm is the larva of a fly that’s native to the American Southwest and to Mexico and other countries to the south. Unlike most fly larvae that eat the flesh of dead animals, the screwworm larva eats its way into living tissue anytime the fly can find a cut or other break in the skin where it can lay its eggs. The larvae can infest livestock, pets, wildlife including birds, and in rare cases, people.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has stated that animals suffering from screwworm may exhibit the following signs: irritated behavior; head shaking; the smell of decay and the presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has issued instructions for hunters who believe they’ve encountered a suspected case of screwworm in a game animal:

• Do not eat, handle or transport the animal;
• Take a GPS location;
• Take pictures of the wound, larvae and/or affected animal if possible;
• If you can, collect a sample safely. Using gloves or tweezers, place several larvae into a sealed container (small jar or plastic vial) with 70% alcohol;
• Label with date, GPS location, species and your contact information; and
• Report and submit immediately to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the New Mexico Livestock Board or the New Mexico Department of Agriculture.

McCartney’s free presentation starts at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Marble Brewery NE Heights Taproom at 9904 Montgomery Blvd. NE in Albuquerque. For more information, click here.