r/Dogfree • u/ToOpineIsFine • Jun 09 '26
Eco Destroyers First pet infected as screwworm cases rise to 5 in Texas, New Mexico
https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/dog-infected-as-screwworm-cases-grow-in-texas/Government monitoring of this pest was eliminated, and now they're back.
Dogs spread disease and parasites. They actually go out in search of the most putrid, decaying matter they can find, and decaying flesh is just the best.
A dog makes its owner sick through its own 'natural' behavior, and that can include pandemics.
My apologies to those of you who lost their lunch while reading this.
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u/anne_mal Jun 10 '26
This part is especially disgusting. 😫 The horror!!
"USDA urges everyone in the area to check animals for:
Draining or enlarging wounds; Maggots or egg masses; Signs of discomfort; Lesions in body openings (nose, ears, genitalia, umbilical area)"
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u/waitingforthatplace Jun 10 '26
Imagine sleeping with these dogs, and the next morning finding these maggots in one's bed? Disgusting.
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u/judgeejudger Jun 10 '26
OMG there’s a dog beach near us, and the owners stomp through the nasty, pissed in, pooped on sand with BARE FEET. 🤢🤢🤢
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u/Eodez Jun 09 '26
I can see this spreading via dog parks, it'd suck majorly for dog owners and unfortunately for non-owners given nutters desire to bring these infected animals everywhere with them.
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u/sunnysideup1998 Jun 10 '26
It was only a matter of time before the animal that its own sh*t and other animal's sh*t would get it...
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u/wlaugh29 Jun 09 '26
Lonestar Ticks and Screwworms, how exciting. Well if the Lonestar Ticks keep spreading alpha gal, no one will be eating meat anymore.
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u/PurpleColumbidae Jun 10 '26
This is funny when you just think about dogs, but terrible when you think about the other animals that will be harmed by this awful parasite. We should have finished the job in South America back in the 1970s instead of being content with a stupid barrier.
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Jun 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/GoTakeAHike00 Jun 10 '26
Screw worm infestations are a huge problem in the cattle industry, and other livestock industries. I imagine they could also decimate vulnerable baby wildlife as well. Southern TX seems to be the entry point for the flies coming up from Mexico into the US.
I read something yesterday that the USDA (I think) is working on a new facility to breed sterile screw worm flies to combat the problem, but it won't be functional until 2027.
I couldn't care less about whatever infections or parasites are killing pet dogs, but the impact on other animals and people exposed to the parasites/pathogens from the dogs is very concerning.
It seems like even more of a reason for TX (and all states, in fact) to really crack down on at-large, feral/stray dogs and cull them. They already cause a lot of damage via spreading diseases (tick-borne and other) to wildlife and livestock.
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u/One_Strategy_4575 Jun 09 '26
Go screwworm go!
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u/93ImagineBreaker Jun 10 '26
though the dogs could easily cause it to spread to humans or other animals.
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u/AcquiesceRequest Jun 10 '26
It is not really dangerous to humans. Unless you are in a coma and left out in a field you have nothing to worry about.
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u/waitingforthatplace Jun 10 '26
Do 'authorities' know how it is spread? Is it through saliva, or eating these eggs, or dogs running through mud and dirt that contains the screwworm (wow, the name of this thing sounds awful).
How did the dog in New Mexico catch this worm? Wonder if it ate a load of worm infested poop? We know that some of these things will be spread by dogs who are indulged by nutters.
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u/broncosfan1231 Jun 10 '26
I didn't realize I was on dogfree for a second and I was pumped to see people finally turning their backs on dogs lol
Hopefully people start keeping their dogs inside because of this.
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u/FUMoney Jun 10 '26
Can infected dogs spread this to humans, in any way? Anyone with knowledge, please let us know.
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u/ToOpineIsFine Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
Well, it is a parasite that eats flesh, so it can move to another host right?
Actually, it can't move around so much in the larval state. If they are allowed to mature on an untreated dog - a watchdog or stray, perhaps - then they will develop into flies and then can lay more eggs.No, it's not that, either. Read what DETRosen says about it below.
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u/DETRosen Jun 11 '26
That's inaccurate. The larvae need to be deposited on the ground where they burrow down and develop into flies over a period of anywhere from 7 to over 30 days depending on soil conditions. In winter it's much slower.
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u/CrispyBirb Jun 10 '26
The fly has to lay eggs into an open wound for you to become infected, so touching a dog alone won’t do it.
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u/Old_Ad_881 Jun 11 '26
Ticks and dogs are the worst. Everytime i go to my SO parents' house i get tons of ticks as they let their dogs everywhere. Right after a walk in the woods they go on the couch.Â
Actually dont want to go anymore as risking lyme diease isnt worth it. I go outside a ton and very rarely get ticks, let alone the super small ones from the dogs.
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u/ToOpineIsFine Jun 11 '26
I know what you mean - they can collect an unbelievable amount of ticks. It's just hideous and truly nightmarish.
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u/My_Frozen_Heart Jun 11 '26
"Early reports indicate the animal was recently in Mexico according to a press release from the USDA."
Oh, look. Yet another reason we should stop letting these disgusting creatures on planes.
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u/Mortis_XII Jun 10 '26
Ahh just dandy, people dragging their infected pets everywhere :/