COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — A flesh-eating parasite threatening Texas' beef industry is showing signs of slowing, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts who briefed ranchers and media this week in College Station.
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Nearly 2,000 Texas cattle producers gathered in College Station this week for the world's largest beef educational event, where the new world screwworm emerged as a focal point of concern and cautious optimism.
At an exclusive media panel Tuesday, Texas A&M AgriLife experts outlined efforts to halt the parasite's spread before it dismantles the state's billion-dollar beef industry. Among the key strategies: sterilizing millions of screwworm flies and releasing them in affected areas.
Phillip Kaufman, Ph.D., of the Department of Entomology, said the approach is working.
"So, my take home would be extreme optimism," Kaufman said.
The sterile insect technique — which prevents reproduction among wild fly populations — is central to that optimism. Kaufman said pesticides alone are not enough.
"You're never going to get rid of this fly by, by treating with pesticides alone. It requires the sterile insect technique," Kaufman said.
Ranchers attending the event said the real-time updates have been valuable, particularly as confirmed case numbers have dropped.
Pat Shields, a rancher, pointed to the declining numbers as a sign of progress.
"Uh, treatment with the sterile fly technique has been working pretty well, so although they're here, I think we haven't seen a great spread of them, and I hope that we can keep them at bay," Shields said.
"I'm really proud of the efforts that we had. We had 31 cases in June and then only 13 cases in July," Shields said.
Fellow rancher Tucker Brown said the arrival of the screwworm in Texas caught many off guard — but that education has helped ease fears.
"I think the shock of the screwworm actually coming into Texas was a shock to many Texans who thought it would never come back," Brown said.
"I appreciate what Texas A&M AgriLife has done by getting more of that education out there because when the truth is told, that fear has definitely gone down," Brown said.
Brown also urged producers to report any sightings immediately, saying early detection is critical to the eradication effort.
"And if you see a fly, make sure that that's known because that's when the fly, they, that's when they can release the sterile flies, and that's what it's gonna take to get this, this, uh, screw worm out of here," Brown said.
David Anderson, Ph.D., an agricultural economist with Texas A&M AgriLife, said the speed of response directly affects the outcome for producers.
"Time has a value, right? And the faster you see a problem and the faster the response is, the faster you're out of the problem and the better off you are," Anderson said.
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