The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the first New World screwworm detection in American wildlife, in a female elk harvested by a hunter on a game ranch in Pecos County, Texas. On the same day, Oct. 21, New Mexico officials confirmed a case in a beef cow in Otero County. Neither report describes any human cases.
The elk finding matters because wildlife is harder to monitor than livestock. Cattle and pets are checked by owners and veterinarians, but deer, elk, and other wild animals often go unseen. With hunting season underway in Texas, hunters and families who process their own game are now part of the early warning system.
