Rumors of devastating pest are unfounded, per MO Department of Agriculture
New World Screwworm (NWS) disease is an infestation with the larvae of the NWS fly that lives off the flesh of living mammals and, less commonly, birds, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This pest burrows into living tissue, causing severe — and sometimes deadly — damage to animals, including livestock and pets, says the MDA.
Rumors of NWS being detected in Missouri are circulating but are unfounded, per the MDA.
'Unfounded rumors are circulating regarding NWS in Missouri,' the MDA said in a statement. 'To date, the MDA and the USDA has received no notification of New World Screwworm detection in Missouri. Missouri Department of Agriculture works closely with USDA on animal health issues.'
The Missouri Cattlemen's Association shared the statement on social media, noting that the rumors have resulted in unnecessary alarm within the state cattle industry.
Globally, however, the issue is persisting.
According to the USDA, in the year of 2023, NWS detections in Panama exploded from an average of 25 cases per year to more than 6,500 cases in 1 year.
Since then, screwworm has been detected in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Mexico, north of the biological barrier that's successfully contained this pest to South America for decades, per the USDA.
Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the suspension of live cattle, horse and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border due to the continued and rapid northward spread of NWS in Mexico, effective immediately.
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