By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
The northeastern corner of Val Verde County has been placed under quarantine after New World Screwworm (NWS) was detected in neighboring Edwards County, County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. has confirmed.
The Texas Animal Health Commission on Wednesday issued an “executive order declaring animal movement restrictions due to New World Screwworm in Edwards, Sutton and Val Verde Counties.”
The order is the fourth issued by the commission since NWS was detected in a calf in Zavala County on June 3. The commission notes as of Friday, there is a quarantine in place “due to an established New World Screwworm Infested Zone in parts of the following Texas counties: Edwards, Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, LaSalle, Sutton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb and Zavala.”
The New World Screwworm is a parasitic blowfly that lays its eggs in open wounds on any warm-blooded animal. Once the eggs hatch, the fly larvae begin to eat the living flesh of the host animal.
The NWS was considered eradicated from the United States and Mexico following a decades-long campaign to push the pest south, using a program that released sterilized screwworm flies into the environment. The program was so successful, it pushed the NWS south of Panama’s Darien Gap.
As the sterile fly program tapered off, new screwworm cases were reported in Central America in late 2024. Since then, the NWS has continued marching north, and on June 3, the first Texas case was confirmed.
The “infested zone” in Val Verde County is a small sliver in the northeastern corner of the county north of Loma Alta on U.S. Highway 277. The adjacent surveillance zone in Val Verde County lies north of the Devils River State Natural Area’s South Unit and continues north along the east side of the Dry Devils River draw.
Owens told The 830 Times on Thursday, “I really don’t like using the word ‘quarantine,’ because when you say quarantine, people get scared. We did not have a case in Val Verde County, but we do have a case in Edwards County.”
Owens emphasized animals can still be moved into and out of the infested zone and the adjacent surveillance zone, but the Texas Animal Health Commission requires that a series of protocols be followed to slow down the spread of NWS.
According to the executive order issued by the commission, “Warm-blooded animals located within the (infested zone) may not be moved outside of the zone without prior authorization from the (Texas Animal Health) Commission. Any person in possession or control of such animals must obtain permission and comply with all conditions set by the Commission before transporting animals beyond the quarantine boundaries.”
Owens said he has been staying in contact with the county livestock producers and ranch managers and owners who attended an emergency meeting on the screwworm here on May 28.
He also said he has been forwarding them all of the information about the NWS he has received from the state.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
