"The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed a second case of New World screwworm in Zavala County on Friday, just hours after Gov. Greg Abbott expanded a statewide disaster declaration in response to the screwworm’s arrival in Texas."
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/05/screwworm-texas-greg-abbott-emergency/
@bich Agreed. Like a few things; only my contemporaries have seen this in practice...dog wounds, occasional human....I hope USAG will get a handle on it quickly....
I wonder why it exploded a few years ago? Probably something related to climate/environment? 🤔
@bich I suspect, complacency. So many programs occupy the attention of policy-makers, until they don't. I am reminded of the Smallpox scare...only three of us at my health department had been previously vaccinated. Only I had ever provided the vaccination to others....Other projects gain the current "crisis" appeal without the understanding of risk....In this case, international cooperation. I agree that climate could be a factor, it certainly has been with other vectors. As an example: there are aedes aegypti over-wintering in in the DC tunnels...
We need to change how we fund public health so that local, state, and federal departments can have flexibility to respond to emerging diseases better.
@MessengerFlats
Ew