Gov Abbott issues disaster declaration to prevent screwworm fly infestation from spreading into Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide catastrophe declaration connected Thursday to forestall the imaginable dispersed of the New World screwworm alert into the Lone Star State, arsenic helium seeks to amended support livestock and wildlife.

The governor's declaration allows the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to usage each authorities authorities prevention and effect resources to forestall the dispersed of the parasite into Texas.

The New World screwworm alert is spreading northbound from Mexico toward the borderline it shares with the U.S.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide catastrophe declaration to forestall the imaginable dispersed of the New World screwworm alert into the Lone Star State. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

"Although the New World screwworm fly is not yet contiguous successful Texas oregon the U.S., its northward dispersed from Mexico toward the U.S. confederate borderline poses a superior menace to Texas' livestock manufacture and wildlife," Abbott said successful a statement.

"State instrumentality authorizes maine to enactment to forestall a menace of infestation that could origin terrible harm to Texas property, and I volition not hold for specified harm to scope our livestock and wildlife," helium continued.

With his statewide catastrophe declaration, the politician said the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team "can afloat utilize each authorities authorities prevention and effect resources to forestall the re-emergence of this destructive parasite."

The New World screwworm alert is spreading northbound from Mexico toward the borderline it shares with the U.S. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Texas officials are prepared to afloat eradicate the pest if request be, the politician said.

Abbott has taken preemptive enactment against the New World screwworm menace by directing the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission to found a associated Texas New World Screwworm Response Team.

The politician besides highlighted a concern with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make a caller $750 cardinal home sterile New World Screwworm accumulation installation adjacent Edinburg, Texas.

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The politician highlighted a concern with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make a caller $750 cardinal home sterile New World Screwworm accumulation installation adjacent Edinburg, Texas. (David Ake/Getty Images)

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The Department of Agriculture said successful August that the New World screwworm is simply a "devastating pest."

"When NWS alert larvae (maggots) burrow into the soma of a surviving animal, they origin serious, often deadly harm to the animal. NWS tin infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds and, successful uncommon cases, people. It is not lone a menace to our ranching community, but it is simply a menace to our nutrient proviso and our nationalist security," the section said astatine the time.