Wildlife rehabilitation organizations across Texas are adjusting operations and limiting animal intake as state officials expand efforts to contain the spread of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite recently detected in the state for the first time in decades.
The restrictions come as state and federal agencies work to prevent the parasite from spreading beyond affected areas in South Texas, where emergency response efforts have intensified following several confirmed cases.
Wildlife facilities that routinely care for injured and orphaned animals say the outbreak is creating new challenges for rescue operations. Some organizations have suspended intake of warm-blooded wildlife because of quarantine requirements and concerns about transporting potentially infected animals.
Among them is the AWS Freeman-Fritts Animal Shelter & Clinic in Kerr County, which recently announced it would stop accepting warm-blooded wildlife while state officials work to contain the outbreak.
The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. Unlike typical maggots that consume dead tissue, screwworm larvae invade open wounds and continue feeding on healthy flesh, often causing severe injuries and, in some cases, death.
While much of the public attention has focused on the threat to Texas livestock, wildlife experts warn that wild animal populations could also play a significant role in the outbreak’s trajectory.
The parasite is capable of infesting a wide range of species, including deer, coyotes, rabbits, birds and other mammals. Wildlife officials fear infected animals could unknowingly transport the parasite into new areas, complicating eradication efforts and creating additional challenges for ranchers and animal health officials.
Texas wildlife rehabilitation groups say animal movement restrictions, while necessary for disease control, are limiting their ability to transfer animals between facilities for treatment and long-term care.
Under current containment measures, transporting animals from quarantine zones often requires additional inspections, treatments or regulatory approval. Rescue organizations say those requirements can delay care and reduce the number of animals facilities are able to accept.
Some wildlife advocates worry the restrictions could leave fewer options for injured animals in rural areas, particularly during the busy spring and summer wildlife season when rehabilitation centers typically see a surge in admissions.
The concerns are especially significant in South Texas, where large populations of white-tailed deer and other wildlife species could become hosts for the parasite if infestations spread beyond livestock.
Agricultural experts note that controlling screwworm infestations among domestic animals is difficult but manageable through inspections, treatments and livestock movement controls. A widespread outbreak among wildlife, however, would be far more challenging because wild animals cannot be monitored as easily as cattle or other domesticated livestock.
State and federal agencies are continuing surveillance efforts while expanding the release of sterile screwworm flies, a technique credited with eradicating the parasite from the United States in the 1960s.
For now, wildlife organizations say they support efforts to contain the outbreak but hope additional resources and guidance will help rehabilitation facilities continue caring for injured animals while protecting Texas from a broader infestation.
Officials are urging residents who encounter wildlife with unusual wounds or signs of infestation to contact local wildlife authorities and avoid handling affected animals themselves.
The coming weeks are expected to be critical as officials monitor both livestock and wildlife populations for signs that the parasite is spreading beyond currently affected areas.