Screwworm Infestation Confirmed in Florida Livestock, Triggering Emergency Quarantine
MIAMI, FL – The United States Department of Agriculture has confirmed a rare and highly destructive outbreak of the New World screwworm in a cattle herd in southern Florida, prompting an immediate state of emergency and a strict quarantine zone spanning over 50 miles. What began as a routine veterinary check for minor wounds on a dozen calves has escalated into a major agricultural crisis, as officials race to contain a parasitic pest not seen in the continental United States for over four decades. The New World screwworm, whose larvae invade living tissue of warm-blooded animals, was first identified at a ranch in Monroe County on Tuesday. Since then, over 200 head of cattle have been placed under observation, and a 60-mile radius has been cordoned off to prevent the transport of any potentially infected livestock, including horses, sheep, and goats. Agricultural officials are now deploying sterile fly release stations in a desperate attempt to eradicate the pest before it spreads to endangered species in the Everglades.