The Tennessee State Veterinarian is urging animal owners to be aware of New World Screwworm, an invasive pest that poses a serious threat to livestock and other warm-blooded animals, including pets.
The New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing painful infected wounds. Adult flies are slightly larger than houseflies, with metallic blue/green bodies, orange eyes, and three dark stripes on their backs.
The New World Screwworm can cause devastating health impacts to affected animals, and early detection is critical to containment and treatment efforts…