TUCSON — A domesticated horse near Tucson has tested positive for New World screwworm, the first confirmed case of the flesh-eating parasite in Pima County, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture and county health officials.
The case brings Arizona’s total to seven confirmed animal cases across four southern counties, AZFamily reported. State agriculture officials said the horse had no known history of travel, and the new case sits about 83 miles from the first one documented in Arizona.
Officials set up a new mandatory infested zone in Pima County with a 20-kilometer radius around the affected property. Infested zones now cover areas around Tucson, Sierra Vista, Elfrida and Safford, and animals cannot leave those zones without approval while movement restrictions are in place.
New World screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds on warm-blooded animals, and the larvae feed on living tissue. No human cases have been reported in the United States, officials said.
“The identification of the first New World Screwworm animal case in Pima County is concerning, but the risk to humans remains low,” Pima County Health Department director Dr. Theresa Cullen said, according to ABC15. She urged anyone with open, draining or non-healing wounds to seek medical care promptly, especially if they notice signs of insect infestation.
Pima Animal Care Center said it is pre-treating all dogs ahead of its Fall Festival adoption event on Sunday.
The new case comes about a week after Arizona began requiring owners of pets traveling to California to show proof their animals are not infected.
State and Pima County officials will hold a virtual town hall on Monday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. to answer questions. Updates are posted on the Arizona Department of Agriculture’s New World screwworm page.
Sources: ABC15, AZFamily. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: USDAgov / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
