Entities investing in NWS preparedness program

As New World screwworm continues spreading, multiple entities are investing in a Rapid Outcomes from Agriculture Research grant.

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, Kansas State University, North American Deer Farmers Association, American Sheep Industry Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Kansas Department of Agriculture are investing $269,560 in a ROAR grant to identify the livestock, wildlife and management practices most vulnerable to infestation.

The project will provide producers and animal health officials with evidence-based tools to prioritize surveillance, producer preparedness and improve response efforts in the U.S. The parasitic fly larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing severe pain, secondary infections and, if untreated, death.

PHOTO: A New World screwworm fly. (Photo courtesy USDA.)