News

U.S. cattle producers urged to focus on management as the risk of NWS continues

A veterinarian says producer education and herd monitoring are critical to protecting the U.S. cattle herd from New World screwworm.

Dr. Thach Winslow, outside cattle veterinary consultant for Elanco’s beef business unit says if New World screwworm were to enter the U.S. early identification will be key.  “People say, what’s the most important thing I can put on my cattle for screwworm,” he says. “My answer is your eyes. You need to be out there. You need to see them. You need to identify those cases early and then treat them effectively.”

He tells Brownfield producers will need to keep a closer eye on newborn calves. “The majority of cases that we see without any form of mitigation is the naval cord of a newborn,” he says.  “So, we an anticipate that probably 80% of the cases that we would see if we didn’t do anything would be on that. And that needs to be our number one focus.” There have been multiple cases confirmed in Tamaulipas, Mexico in the last week, 3 of them were in calves 15 days or younger.

Winslow says the best way to eradicate the pest is through sterile flies.  But current production is only running at about one-fifth of what is needed.  “In Panama, they’re manufacturing about 100 million sterile flies a week,” he says.  “But for the big wide area that we’re going to have to start pushing back, we’re estimating that we’re going to need 500 million sterile flies a week to do that.”

He says if NWS were to enter the US the best way to mitigate risk is to decrease the number of wounds, or potential entry sites on an animal.

NWS has NOT been detected in the United States, and all southern ports of entry remain closed to livestock trade. 

AUDIO: Thach Winslow, Elanco