LA PRYOR, Texas – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins met with ranchers on Thursday at Chaparrosa Ranch in La Pryor, where the New World screwworm was located.
Officials said there will be a sterile fly release on-site as part of ongoing agricultural pest control efforts. Following the dispersal, Rollins provided an update to reporters.
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The USDA said the visit will include a rancher roundtable focused on agricultural challenges in South Texas.
A half dozen cases of New World screwworm have been confirmed in the United States since last week, after the pest had largely been gone from the country for decades. The nearest case reported is in Gillespie County.
Screwworm flies lay their eggs in wounds or orifices of warm-blooded animals. When they hatch within 12 to 24 hours, the resulting larvae eat further into the host, which can cause severe, often deadly damage if not treated.
La Pryor is located in Zavala County.
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