It wasn't that long ago that the first case of the flesh-eating New World screwworm reached the States.
Now, the flies' forces are advancing.
The Department of Agriculture says there are now four confirmed cases in Texas: Three calves in La Salle County, Texas, and a goat in Gillespie County, Texas.
They also announced the infection of a dog in Lea County, New Mexico.
The following info is now pinned to the top of the USDA's social media:
In addition, there has been a flurry of emergency approvals of a variety of possible preventions and treatments for screwworms, including powders, ointments, sprays, and ingestible/injectable drugs.
The biggest push is to get more sterile male flies, as females only mate once in their lifetime. If the male's a dud, the species dies out. That's how they eradicated the flies in the '60s.
Officials have been dumping millions of sterile males in the areas where the screw flies have surfaced.
If that tactic fails, there's really only one alternative.
Get your chopsticks ready, folks!
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