Pulse - January 2025 - 19

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
of NWS will not be stopped. The USDA best describes the
etymology of the name screwworm.
The name screwworm refers to the maggots' feeding
behavior as they burrow (screw) into the wound, feeding as
they go like a screw being driven into wood. Maggots cause
extensive damage by tearing at the host's tissue with sharp
mouth hooks. The wound can become larger and deepen as
more maggots hatch and feed on living tissue. As a result,
NWS can cause serious, often deadly, damage to the animal.
- USDA (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/
livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm)
What can we do now? For the general practitioner, be vigilant.
Beyond the patient's clinical presentation, several key
features help define the maggot. Start at the posterior end of
the maggot where the breathing occurs.... Yes, they breathe
out of their bum.
Both C. hominivorax and L. sericata boast Calliphoridtype
spiracles (the external breathing apparatus), which look
like three lines pointed toward a button. Additionally, C.
hominivorax will have pigmented tracheal trunks which can
be visualized from the dorsal aspect of the maggot. NWS
anterior hooks will be prominently displayed on their anterior
end - imagine a vampire maggot. Many maggots will have
these hooks, but they are large with NWS.
If you suspect NWS, take samples and contact your local
health department and state veterinarian. P
References
Entomology Today. (2020, October 27). How blow flies compete (or not)
for decomposition duties. https://entomologytoday.org/2020/10/27/
how-blow-flies-compete-decomposition-duties/
Historical natural history: Insects and the Civil War. Montana State
University: Mountains and Minds. (n.d.). https://www.montana.
edu/historybug/civilwar2/flies.html
Horobin AJ, Shakesheff KM, Woodrow S, Robinson C, Pritchard DI (May
2003). " Maggots and wound healing: an investigation of the effects
of secretions from Lucilia sericata larvae upon interactions between
human dermal fibroblasts and extracellular matrix components " .
The British Journal of Dermatology. 148 (5): 923-33. doi:10.1046/
j.1365-2133.2003.05314.x. PMID 12786822. S2CID 23720894.
Lyons, J. (2018, October 19). " glowing " Wounds: Why civil war soldiers
had injuries that shone: War history online. warhistoryonline.
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/glowingwounds-civil-war.html
Staff,
M. (2024, November 28). US suspends Mexican cattle imports
after flesh-eating worm detected in Chiapas. Mexico News Daily.
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexico-cattle-screwworm/
USDA. (n.d.). New World Screwworm. Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/
cattle/ticks/screwworm
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. (2024, December
6). Mexico notifies us of New World Screwworm Detection.
TheFencePost.com.
https://www.thefencepost.com/news/
mexico-notifies-us-of-new-world-screwworm-detection/
PULSE
JANUARY 2025
19

https://entomologytoday.org/2020/10/27/how-blow-flies-compete-decomposition-duties/ https://entomologytoday.org/2020/10/27/how-blow-flies-compete-decomposition-duties/ https://www.montana.edu/historybug/civilwar2/flies.html https://www.montana.edu/historybug/civilwar2/flies.html https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/glowing-wounds-civil-war.html https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/glowing-wounds-civil-war.html https://www.mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexico-cattle-screwworm/ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm https://www.thefencepost.com/news/mexico-notifies-us-of-new-world-screwworm-detection/ http://www.TheFencePost.com https://www.thefencepost.com/news/mexico-notifies-us-of-new-world-screwworm-detection/ http://scvma.carewebsite.com http://clientserv@communitybrands.com http://matew.davis@communitybrands.com

Pulse - January 2025

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