Atascosa County briefing: officials outline 12 confirmed screwworm cases, urge vigilance and explain movement and treatment rules

Atascosa County hosted a public briefing on the New World screwworm where state and federal partners outlined current cases, control tactics and practical steps for residents to protect livestock and wildlife.

Dr. Wayne Crouch, regional director and veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission, said Texas has 12 confirmed screwworm cases and urged rapid reporting of any live animal with an open wound and visible maggots. “You’re only gonna find these larvae … you’re probably not gonna see the fly because these flies are pretty reclusive,” Crouch said, adding that early detection makes treatment straightforward.

Crouch explained the state’s core control strategy is the sterile‑insect technique: release of sterile male flies to suppress reproduction. He said agencies aim to distribute hundreds of millions of sterile males weekly but acknowledged current production capacity is limited. “We’ve been short of what we need,” Crouch said, describing production at an established Panama facility (about 110 million flies per week) and new facilities coming online that will increase male‑biased output.

The animal health official outlined the four requirements to move animals out of an infested zone: an inspection by the Texas Animal Health Commission, animal identification (RFID tags for cattle or accepted papers for horses), injectable Dectomax treatment and a permit. “If you’re moving out of that zone, you give us a call and say when you wanna do it. We come to your place, do the inspection, give the papers to you, and you can move out,” Crouch said.

On treatment, Crouch told producers that injectable Dectomax is the only medication currently approved to allow animals to leave infested zones; ivermectin can serve as a preventive against the earliest larval stage but is not a reliable treatment for established infestations. He recommended checking animals every three days and saving larvae samples in alcohol or a sealed container for identification when possible.

Matt Reedy, the local Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist, urged people to focus on reporting live animals with suspicious wounds rather than photos of adult flies, since sterile males are being released and adult fly photos are not diagnostic. Reedy also discussed a trial of medicated feed for wildlife and flagged ecological and resistance concerns at low dosing, noting potential impacts on dung beetles and other decomposers.

Crouch and TPWD staff provided reporting contacts and resources: the incident command center phone number for zone cases noted in the briefing is (956) 755‑8548, and the TPWD 24‑hour wildlife line is (512) 389‑4505. Speakers said the full slide set and a recording of the meeting will be posted on the Atascosa County website.

The briefing closed with a reminder from county hosts to monitor livestock, pets and wildlife closely and to call the listed numbers immediately for suspected live cases; officials emphasized that timely reports allow rapid confirmation and targeted sterile‑fly deployment rather than broad quarantines.