Latest news with #USDAAnimalandPlantHealthInspectionService
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
County officials warn of possible fly infestation
Although no Texas cases had been reported as of Tuesday, Johnson County Commissioner Larry Woolley warned of a potential screwworm fly infestation in mid to late summer. In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended importations of cattle, horses and bison from Mexico into the U.S. to prevent New World screwworm movement north following detection in Veracruz, Mexico. 'A lot of people may not remember the last time one of these happened,' Woolley said during Monday's Johnson County Commissioners Court meeting. 'I was in high school. I remember it vividly. It's not a pretty site and it's not something to be taken lightly.' Commissioner Kenny Howell agreed. 'I remember that too,' Howell said. 'It was a huge problem.' Although the closest detection is still 700 miles away, the New World screwworm is of increasing concern across the southern U.S., as it can potentially cause losses in the livestock and wildlife-related industries if it moves across the Mexican border and reestablishes. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is working with Mexican officials to train personnel and expand surveillance and eradication efforts in Mexico to better address the movement of the fly northward. Should the New World screwworm enter the U.S., this fly is estimated to cause losses, conservatively, of $2.1 billion to cattle and $9 billion to the hunting/wildlife industry in Texas. Where the larvae of other flies feed on carcasses, the larvae of these flies feed on the live flesh of animals including people. 'All it takes is a cut or a drop of blood to attract them,' Woolley said. 'They are flesh-eating larvae called screwworms.' The larvae of the New World Screwworm flies burrow into the flesh of warm-blooded animals resulting in damage, possible secondary infections and potentially death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'The control method then and now is the distribution of sterile male flies into the population, and that's something they're working on now,' Woolley said. Typical insecticide use on the New World screwworm is not as effective as with other insect pests due to its wide host range and occurrence on wildlife. Eradication is the best way to control screwworms. However, control/removal of the fly when found on hosts is critical to reducing the local population so that the sterile fly program succeeds more quickly and reduces animal suffering. The New World screwworm is incapable of overwintering in regions that experience low temperatures or extended dry periods — they don't do well below 45 degrees and certainly die if frozen, however, the larvae can burrow about 6 inches into the soil, changing the temperatures that they experience. This fly poses a serious threat to livestock and wildlife because it deposits eggs into the wounds of living animals, thereby leading to larval infestations. Because they can host on any living mammal, they can also affect pets and humans. This metallic green-blue fly with large orange eyes is about twice the size of a common house fly. New World screwworms do not bite animals; their damage comes from laying eggs in the open wounds of living, warm-blooded animals — though rarely birds. The immature fly larvae, or maggots, feed on the living tissues of hosts, burrowing into the animal's tissue, causing tremendous damage and often resulting in the host's death. Historically, ranchers have altered breeding dates to avoid birthing during the fly season. Common livestock management practices and events, such as castration, dehorning, branding and birthing in all animals and antler velvet shedding in deer, often resulted in infestations. Infestations can occur at the site of any recent wound, like a scrape, lesion or even a tick-feeding site. Other wounds of common infestation include those from ear tagging or shearing, as well as mucous membranes and antler shedding in deer. Newborn mammals are prone to infestations at the healing umbilical cord site. If a wound on a living animal is found to have larvae in it, a veterinarian must be contacted. Find an accredited veterinarian or Texas Animal Health Commission, TAHC, region office. The veterinarian is mandated by law to collect and submit the larvae for identification to the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory. Also, the animal should be immediately confined for wound care, and all larvae should be removed and placed into alcohol. After removing the larvae, treat the infestation with topical pesticides labeled for use on the animal to kill any larvae that may not have been removed and reduce the likelihood of re-infestation. The wound should be monitored until it fully heals. When dealing with livestock, all other animals in the herd should be checked for wounds and larvae. Anyone who finds fly larvae infesting a living animal, called myiasis, must report this to a state veterinarian. The protocol for reporting can be found on the Texas Animal Health Commission website or at the USDA-APHIS website. An informational webinar on the topic is available at and as a link through the county's website. 'I encourage people to watch that to be educated on the possible problems this may pose,' Woolley said. 'It can affect livestock, pets, people.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I spy a spotted lanternfly — and I'm gonna crush it. Here's why.
The spotted lanternfly, an invasive species from Asia, is already making a 2025 appearance across the U.S. before the official start of summer. According to the World Population Review tracker, the pest has been spotted in 17 states as the weather gets consistently warmer: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia. Here's what the spotted lantern flies look like and why you should destroy them at any stage, including as egg masses. Egg mass Usually found Sept.-June Egg masses look like smears of flat mud. Over time, the mass darkens to a yellowish-brown color. A mass can hold around 30 to 50 eggs Eggs hatch in the spring and early summer, from April through October Early-stage nymphs Typically found in late April through July The newly hatched nymphs are black with white spots Their size ranges from ⅛ inch to ¼ inch Late-stage nymphs Can be found from July to September Red with black and white spots About ½ inch in size Adult Usually seen from July to December. About 1 inch long and ½ inch wide Their tan forewings have black spots. Their hindwings, which are mostly hidden unless the wings are spread, have lower red and upper black patches, separated by a white section. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service advises people to destroy egg masses by smashing and scraping them into a plastic zip bag filled with hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to kill them. Zip the bag shut and throw it in the trash. If you spot a lanternfly, kill it by stepping on it or squishing it to help prevent them from spreading, and report the sighting to your state department of agriculture. The spotted lanternfly poses a significant threat to the U.S. agricultural and forestry industries, according to the USDA. They cause infestations in hardwood trees and destroy grapevines and fruit trees, like apples, peaches and nectarines. The nymphs feed on host plants by sucking sap from young stems and branches. When the adults feed, they excrete a sugar-rich fluid called honeydew that builds up under plants and can cause the growth of sooty mold to form, damaging them. Spotted lanternflies are native to southeastern Asia. They hitched a ride to the U.S. on imported goods and were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. While parasitic wasps are natural predators that keep them in check in southeastern Asia, the lanternflies initially lacked native predators in the U.S., which is why their populations have become a problem. But research has identified some possibilities. A recent Pennsylvania State University study found that spined soldier bugs native to North America, in addition to Carolina and Chinese mantises, were effective natural predators at destroying the invasive spotted lanternfly. 'The spotted lanternfly's ability to sequester toxins from its preferred host, the tree of heaven, raises concerns about its vulnerability to predators,' said lead researcher Anne Johnson. 'We hypothesized that the spotted lanternfly might harness the tree's bitter-tasting chemical compounds as a defense mechanism that could protect them against predation.' These pests can travel across state borders by attaching themselves to outdoor equipment, vehicles and bicycles. The USDA asks people to check these items as well as outdoor furniture, tents, tarps and coolers before moving from an area that's known to be populated by the pest to help stop the spread. Spotted lanternflies can lay eggs on pretty much anything, including: light bulbs, fence posts, tires, outdoor furniture and cushions. This handy checklist from the USDA provides a bigger list of items to check before you leave for a new location. If you see egg masses, nymphs or adults: Destroy them.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Deadly bird flu detected in Nevada dairy cattle
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently confirmed the deadly bird flu genotype responsible for killing flocks nationwide was found in Nevada dairy cattle. The APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) on Friday found the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) genotype D1.1 in dairy cattle, according to a statement. The confirmation came a result of state tracing and investigation, following an initial detection on silo testing under the USDA's National Milk Testing Strategy in Nevada, officials said. Bird Flu Outbreak At Georgia Poultry Facility Pauses Sales "USDA APHIS continues to work with the Nevada Department of Agriculture by conducting additional on-farm investigation, testing, and gathering additional epidemiological information to better understand this detection and limit further disease spread," the statement read. This is the first detection of the virus genotype in dairy cattle – all previous detections in dairy cattle have been a different genotype, B3.13. Read On The Fox Business App Shelling Out: Egg Prices Rise Nearly 37 Percent Genotype D1.1 represents the predominant genotype in the North American flyways over the fall and winter and has been identified in wild birds, mammals and spillovers into domestic poultry, according to APHIS. Eggs are becoming increasingly difficult to find and more expensive nationwide due to the bird flu, Fox Business previously reported. The detection does not change USDA's HPAI eradication strategy and "is a testament to the strength of our National Milk Testing Strategy," according to officials. In the interest of sharing information of import to the scientific community, APHIS will publish a technical brief on the findings on its website and post the sequence data on GenBank in the coming article source: Deadly bird flu detected in Nevada dairy cattle
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
First outbreak of rare H5N9 bird flu reported on California duck farm as cases of H5N1 continue to rise
The first confirmed case of the rare H5N9 bird flu has been reported in the U.S. The virus was confirmed in a commercial duck farm in Merced County, California, according to the World Organization for Animal Health. 'The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with State Animal Health and Wildlife Officials, are conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations and enhanced surveillance in response to the HPAI related events,' the organization wrote in a report. Authorities also detected the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm. Nearly 119,000 birds there had been killed by December. The report comes after news that 100,000 ducks would be killed on a New York farm that was quarantined for an outbreak. Bird flu has spread across the U.S. in recent months, killing a person in Louisiana, sickening nearly 70 others, and resulting in the deaths of hundreds of millions of poultry. This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
First outbreak of rare H5N9 bird flu reported on California duck farm as cases of H5N1 continue to rise
The first confirmed case of the rare H5N9 bird flu has been reported in the U.S. The virus was confirmed in a commercial duck farm in Merced County, California, according to the World Organization for Animal Health. 'The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with State Animal Health and Wildlife Officials, are conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations and enhanced surveillance in response to the HPAI related events,' the organization wrote in a report. Authorities also detected the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm. Nearly 119,000 birds there had been killed by December. The reports comes after news that 100,000 ducks would be killed on a New York farm that was quarantined for an outbreak.
