FYI: Greetings from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, Bob Odom Commissioner.
Dr. Henry Moreau, State Veterinarian, reports that Screwworms were confirmed in Mississippi on September 21, 2007 in a dog that was imported from Trinidad. Screwworms are flesh-eating larvae (maggots) that can infect any warm-blooded mammal, and if untreated can be fatal. Screwworms are on the list of OIE Foreign Animal Diseases that have been eradicated from the U.S., Mexico, and Central America, and economic effects would be devastating to livestock if a re-infestation were to occur in the U.S. Veterinarians are the first line of defense against FAD's, so please be on the look-out for these parasites. Please call our office at 225-925-3980 to ask questions or to report anything suspicious.
