EDINBURG — The United States and Texas are fully prepared to combat a parasitic fly that poses a billion-dollar threat to the Texas economy, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Monday.
During a visit to the Rio Grande Valley with Gov. Greg Abbott, Rollins said proactive steps by the USDA and state response teams had prepared the region to eradicate New World Screwworm. This parasitic fly lays eggs in open wounds, posing a threat to livestock.
Texas leads the U.S. in cattle production, making the screwworm an extraordinary risk to the industry. Ranchers and other agriculture advocates have sounded the alarm about screwworm for more than a year.
