After Elon's DOGE eliminated a program designed to contain the parasite last year, it's now returned and threatens the entire U.S. livestock industry. Heck of a job, Trump.
Source: NBC News
A flesh-eating parasite that had been kept out of U.S. livestock for decades has been detected in Texas, threatening the nation’s cattle industry and food supply at a time when prices are already high.
The case of New World screwworm was confirmed in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, near the U.S.-Mexico border, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said late Wednesday.
The parasitic fly’s larvae feed exclusively on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals.
While the fly is capable of infecting humans and pets, such cases are rare and pose little risk to the broader public, according to experts.
The parasite does not pose a food safety threat, but a wider outbreak could still cost the livestock industry billions of dollars and put additional pressure on beef prices that are already at record highs.
The case is the first confirmed detection of New World screwworm in Texas since 1966 and is the only confirmed case identified in the country so far, Rollins said.
Since this report, a second case has been detected prompting Texas Governor Abbott to declare a state of disaster for all 254 counties in Texas.
Trump appointed this twit as Agriculture Secretary. It has not gone well.
