Reimer’s Warns of Screwworm Havoc in Belize

Reimer’s Feed Mill is sounding the alarm tonight, the New World Screwworm is back in Belize, and that’s bad news for livestock owners. This pest feeds on the flesh of warm-blooded animals, putting cattle, pets, and the entire livestock industry at serious risk. The Ministry of Agriculture rolled out strict measures last year to keep it under control, but despite those efforts, the parasite is here and causing havoc.

 

Amir Zuniga, Vet Tech, Reimer’s

“Right now, screw, there are multiple cases of screwworm and it’s definitely something to take top priority when you’re dealing with livestock or any type of animal, really even pets. The best prevention for it is to just keep an eye on your animals. It’s something that you would have to do daily. Just do maybe a check once a day. Any scratches or larger wounds those need to get spread because the flies are attracted to the wound and they’re the ones that go onto the wound. Lay the eggs, and that’s where the screwworm starts.  If you wait too long depending on where the area is for sure the animals can die. The wound gets too bad or the worms are eating at the, vital organs or you run into a really bad infection. So for sure if it’s left untreated for too long it can become fatal. You could just imagine hundreds up to thousands of worms crawling in under your skin. I don’t think it’s something very good to deal with. I’m sure it comes with a lot of discomfort and a lot of pain. If you do have to treat it, for sure, get in contact with Baja. If not, get in contact with your local veterinarian or you can also get in contact with one of our branches. Most of our branches have vet that can assist you with treating these wounds.”