Texas A&M System-wide response before the first case
Texas A&M’s strategies have kept the original mission of the university — to serve Texans — top of mind. Research-backed education for Texans, front-line support, close collaboration with state and federal agencies, and new research aim to keep Texas strong.
To date, 51 NWS cases have been confirmed since the latest outbreak began, with 49 in Texas and two in New Mexico. The numbers are currently promising: As of this writing, Texas has only two active cases. The caseload in Texas has been declining overall, with 29 cases reported in June, 14 in July, four in August and two in September.
Confirmed Texas cases have been primarily in livestock (cattle, sheep, goats and horses), with three in dogs.
Texas A&M AgriLife spent more than a year building a coordinated A&M System-wide response through an internal task force involving Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
As soon as the screwworm entered Texas, the state made a disaster declaration, and the head of Texas A&M’s Department of Entomology, Dr. Phil Kaufman, joined the governor in a declaration press conference.
“Knowing the science of the fly is key,” said Kaufman. “The most effective way to eradicate it from Texas is to know where the flies are and then release sterile male flies in the area.”
Educating Texans to help identify and treat screwworm
Education about the screwworm is imperative for Texans who manage livestock and wildlife. They need to know how to identify the signs of an infested wound, who to call and how to treat the infestation. AgriLife Extension is a state agency dedicated to putting research-backed information in the hands of Texans.
Dr. Jason Smith, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist and associate professor in the Department of Animal Science, is stationed at the Texas A&M AgriLife High Plains Research and Extension Center at Canyon and was one of the faculty who authored educational materials.
“These materials provide actionable information in an easy-to-understand form,” Smith said. “Educating livestock owners is imperative for a new situation; owners are the front-line defense against screwworm, because they’ll be the first ones that see the signs and report the suspected cases.”
AgriLife Extension’s online educational efforts are bolstered by the agency’s in-person educational presence.
AgriLife Extension personnel have been actively preparing Texans ever since the potential reemergence of NWS was identified. More than 600 in-person educational events have been held across Texas, reaching more than 286,000 people over the past year. Each event attended and each fact sheet read puts more Texans in a better position to protect their animals.