Screwworm Myiasis
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SCREWWORM MYIASIS William Edmiston, DVM Eldorado Animal Clinic Eldorado, Texas Screwworm Myiasis Robert B. Moeller Jr. California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory Tulare, CA 93274 [email protected] 559-688-7543 Nov 2009 Screwworms Economic Impact • US currently free of screwworms?? (Sept 2007: (NWSW) canine in Mississippi from Trinidad; OCT 2007: (OWSW) canine in Massachusetts from Singapore ) • $100 million economic losses to livestock producers in US in Gulf coast region during the first half of the 1900’s • Reintroduction into US --- $ 600-900 million - Losses due to: * Animal treatments and handling (increased manpower) * Loss of meat products due to tissue damage • South America estimated losses $3.6 billion annually • Eradication effort in case of extensive reintroduction - $1.2 to $1.5 billion in control program cost (Cost are SIT program, increase boarder monitoring and education programs) – US benefit from eradication $900 million annual benefit – Central America livestock $257 million annual benefit from eradication effort. Screwworms • New World Screwworms • Old World Screwworms • Cochliomyia hominivorax • Chrysomya bezziana • 8-10mm length • 8-12 mm length • Blue to green body • Green to blue body • 3 dark longitudinal stripes • 2 dark longitudinal strips Screwworm Distribution Historical range Screwworm Distribution Current range New World Screwworms History in Western Hemisphere • 1934 major outbreak in US - 1.3 million animals affected - 200,000 deaths • 1937: Knipling and Bushland Knipling begin working on fly • 1938: Discover that female breeds only once • 1950 Sterilization of male flies developed Bushland History of New World Screwworm Eradication Program Sanibel Island 1951-1952 1954 History of New World Screwworms Eradication - Florida 1959 - US 1966 - Mexico 1992 - Central America 2004 - Puerto Rico 1975 - Currently free US Virgin Islands and Jamaica - Cuba and Hispaniola have no eradication programs currently SCREWWORM OUTBREAK LIBYA, NORTH AFRICA, 1988-1991 INFESTED HIGH RISK LOW RISK Old World Screwworms Chrysomya bezziana Screwworms Transmission • Infect any mammal (birds rarely infected) • Wildlife tend to be reservoir for livestock infections • Female deposits eggs onto wound or mucus membrane (nose, eye, prepuce, vagina) while feeding • Female lays 100 to 300 eggs/feeding (female can lay 3000 eggs in lifetime) Screwworm Transmission • Eggs hatch in 10 to 20 hours • Larva eat flesh and expand wound • Larva mature in 4 to 20 days • Many female flies can lay eggs into wound (smell attracts more screwworm flies and other flies • 2o screwworm infection can occur - Cochliomyia macellaria (West) - Chrysomya megacephala (East) Screwworm Transmission • After feeding for 4 to 12 days larva drop off • Burrow into ground • Pupate in soil for 3 to 5 days • Adults emerge Screwworms • Neonatal animals commonly affected, umbilical infections common • Wounds invaded by screwworm flies as small as tick or insect bite • Gulf coast ear tick (A. maculatum) caused many infected lesions with ear loss in cattle Screwworms in animals • Nasal, occular and gingival infestations common Screwworms Human infections • Infections of skin primary area of infection • Nasal passages second most common site • Poor personal hygiene aids in infestations • Old people most common individuals infected with larva Screwworm Identification • Larval identification is the primary method for mammals • Larvae removed from deepest part of wound to avoid non-screwworm larvae (Larva tend to be at the margin of viable and nonviable tissues) • Posterior spiracle open for both screwworms • Look for pigmentation of dorsal tracheal trunks • NWSW: Cochliomyia hominivorax - 2nd instars larva: dorsal tracheal trunks over ½ of body length, Pigmentation of trunks characteristic - 3rd instars larva: dorsal; trachea; trunks extend from the 12th to 10th segment. • OWSW: Chrysomya bezziana - Dorsal tracheal trunks pigmented only at 12th segment • Chrysomya bezziana: anterior spiracle with 4 to 6 lobes separate it from other species Screwworms: Identification • Identification of adult and larva screwworms - Usually deep tissue larva not superficial larva • Mab-ELISA testing in development: 97% accurate identified Cochliomyia hominivorax eggs, larva and adults • PCR technique - Mitochondrial DNA - Random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) • Submit fresh and alcohol fixed larva Screwworms: Detection • Physical examination of animals for larva • Insect traps • Detector dogs trained to sniff for odor given off by infected wounds (one animal) Screwworm: Treatment • Manual removal of larva • Flush wound with saline/hydrogen peroxide/antiseptic • Chloroform, ether, benzol to evacuate larvae • Boric acid and potassium permanganate deodorant and cleaning agent • Antibiotics for secondary bacteria Screwworms: Treatment • Old treatments - Diphenylamine 35%; Benzol 35%, Turkey red oil 6.7% and lindane 3% - 3% lindane and pine oil - 1% dichlorfenthion and gentian violet • New treatments - 1% fipronil pour-on - Doramectin injectable to eliminate larvae - Ivermectin injectable to eliminate larvae Screwworms: Risk to the United States • Movement of pets and people from risk countries - Tourist, quest workers, military (pets from screwworm endemic areas) • Importation of livestock with infections (horses affected) • Air and sea transport carrying flies into US • Intentional release Sterile Insect Technique • USDA-APHIS participates in International Eradication Programs Against Screwworms • Screwworms are mass produced in a production facility in southern Mexico, irradiated, and then mass released from airplanes. • New plant open in Panama in 2007 (Pacora, Panama) - $40 million production facility - Able to produce 150 million sterilized flies per week for Panama (Darien Gap region) and eventually Caribbean islands Pacora, Panama Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico Colonies of adult screwworms are kept in cages; about 60,000 per cage. When adults are about 6 days old, eggs are collected and prepared for placement in larval media. About 1 gram of eggs are placed in the media of dry blood, dry egg, dry milk, gelling agent and water (kept at about 38 degrees C). • Trays of larva are kept on large racks, media is added 3-4 times • Mature larvae are removed from the media and pupate (in sawdust) • The larval period last about 6 days Mature larvae are placed in containers of sawdust where they pupate. Large numbers of trays of pupae are stored on racks for about 4 days. 1 2 1. Pupae are then placed in tubes. 2. The tubes are placed in ‘slots in the wall’ for irradiation. (use Cesium 137 as source) 3. On the other side of the wall are irradiators where the flies are sterilized. 3 Sterile screwworm pupae are kept chilled in large boxes for up to 2 days before loading to planes for dispersal in the eradication program. Pupae are released at a rate of about 3,000 or more per nautical mile. Good Web sites: • http://smccd.net/accounts/case/insect/ • http://WWW.fao.org • http://www.merck vetmanual.com • http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu • http://www.vet.uga.edu/VPP/gray_book/ Photos • Dr Chase • Dr Schlater • Dr Scoda • USDA Grey book Questions .