Arizona cattle rancher says New World screwworms are concerning but not ‘a serious threat’

An Arizona cattle rancher said that while his industry is concerned about New World screwworms, he doesn’t consider the flesh-eating parasites “a serious threat.”

“Anything … that has the potential to harm our cattle, we’re worried about,” Tim Petersen, owner of the Arizona Grass Raised Beef Co., told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Wednesday.

When the U.S. Department of Agriculture documented a case of the New World screwworm in Texas livestock last week, the pest hadn’t been detected in the U.S. in over 50 years. Several other cases have been confirmed since the initial incident.

Still, Petersen expressed confidence that the situation can be kept under control.

“We had an infestation problem back in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, and we were able to eradicate at that time,” he said. “Technology has come a long ways, and, no, it’s not a serious threat. If we can do what we’re doing now and keep taking the actions that we’re taking, I don’t think it’ll turn into an infestation problem.”

Why are cattle ranchers worried about New World screwworms?

The New World screwworm isn’t a food safety issue, but it can kill animals because their larvae eat live flesh. A widespread infestation could result in a beef shortage that hits consumers in their bank accounts.

“If it does start affecting our herds, then absolutely the price of beef will go up more,” Petersen said.

Additionally, ranchers have to spend more money on prevention when the threat of screwworms is elevated.

“The screwworm likes to embed its eggs into open wounds, orifices like the eyes. So, we just need to monitor the cattle a lot closer, which is going to require more labor, more boots on the ground on the ranch,” Petersen said.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Arizona unveiled plans to help ranchers along the southern border reduce the risk of infestation.

The same day, the USDA announced that President Donald Trump appointed John Bellinger as the new senior adviser for New World screwworm preparedness.

“Our Department of Agriculture here in Arizona is doing a lot of surveillance,” Petersen said. “They’re setting traps all over the state. And I think to date, they’ve looked at about almost 1,000 samples. And so, there’s a lot going on to keep this pest out of Arizona — and if it does come into Arizona, keep it under control.”

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