After a case was proven in a calf near La Pryor, Texas, federal officials are working quickly to stop the spread of the New World screwworm. This is the first case found on the Texas side of the U.S.-Mexico border in about 60 years.
Gov. Greg Abbott said that the flesh-eating bug is bad for cows and sheep but not for the safety of the food supply.
Abbott said in a briefing on Friday, "To be clear... There is no food safety issue, full stop." "There is a problem with making food, but not with food safety."
For a long time, the parasite that lives in open wounds in animals has been kept under control by releasing sterile flies that stop breeding. To stop the spread, officials say the U.S. Department of Agriculture has already begun releasing sterile flies across South Texas.
Abbott said that a new facility being built in Edinburgh to make sterile flies will be crucial for long-term control measures and urged that it be finished early.
"To stop the disease, officials must release millions of sterile flies in certain areas," Abbott said.
The discovery has caused worry in Texas's cattle industry, especially along the border, where livestock operations are popular.
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