New World screwworm confirmed in a Texas elk

The story in brief

What you need to know

• The confirmed detection was in one hunter-harvested female elk in Pecos County. The reporting confirms the finding, but does not describe additional wildlife cases.13
• The case has been described as the first wildlife detection in the current outbreak. That wording should not be read as the first-ever US wildlife detection: New World screwworm was recorded in Florida Key deer in 2016.12
• USDA and Texas Parks and Wildlife are expanding surveillance. This is an ongoing response, not evidence that the parasite’s distribution in wildlife has been established.1
• Hunters are advised to inspect harvested animals and promptly report suspected infestations. Landowners are also being encouraged to report suspected cases.1
• The confirmed finding raises a wildlife-health concern, while the available information does not show whether the detection is isolated or part of a wider wildlife infestation.1

Conservation context

Why this matters

A confirmed case in wildlife gives authorities a reason to increase surveillance, but the significance for wildlife beyond this elk remains unclear. The distinction between a first detection in the current outbreak and the earlier Florida case is also important when describing the event.12

The developing story

What happens next

Authorities are expanding wildlife surveillance and asking hunters and landowners to report suspected cases. The reporting does not say whether this work will identify further cases or what additional control measures, if any, will follow.1

Established evidence

What we know

• USDA and Texas Parks and Wildlife confirmed the detection in a hunter-harvested female elk in Pecos County, Texas.13
• The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services records a New World screwworm outbreak in Key deer in 2016, qualifying claims that the Texas case was the first US wildlife detection.2
• The agencies’ response includes expanded wildlife surveillance and advice to inspect harvested animals and report suspected infestations.1

Open questions

What we don't know

• The extent of screwworm in wildlife is not established by the available reporting.1
• It is not yet known whether surveillance will identify additional wildlife cases or how far any infestation extends.1
• The reporting does not specify what further control measures, if any, will follow the expanded surveillance.1

Source coverage

Read the reporting