COCHISE COUNTY — Federal agriculture officials confirmed New World screwworm in a dog in Cochise County, the first detection of the flesh-eating parasite in Arizona, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday, Oct. 28.
According to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a veterinarian examining the dog Oct. 26 found a wound on its back infested with maggots. Samples were confirmed at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
The USDA said it is working with the Arizona Department of Agriculture and has set up a 20-kilometer infested zone with movement controls for animals. Officials plan more surveillance and fly trapping, releases of sterile flies and outreach to pet and livestock owners.
Reuters reported Arizona is the third U.S. state with a case and that the dog was receiving care. Cochise County borders Mexico, where the pest has spread in recent years.
Screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals, and the larvae feed on living tissue. Officials urged owners to inspect animals daily for draining or growing wounds, maggots or egg masses, signs of discomfort and lesions around body openings, and to report suspected cases to a veterinarian or state officials.
ABC15 reported the case is the first recorded in the state.
Sources: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: USDAgov / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
