A red state governor declared a disaster in hundreds of counties as the spread of a flesh-eating parasite poses an “imminent threat,” according to local reporting.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced “a state of disaster” for all 254 Texas counties as New World Screwworm threatens the state’s wildlife and livestock industry, according to Texas political reporter Brandon Waltens.
For the first time in decades, screwworm was found in U.S. cattle livestock earlier this week. The parasite is mostly a threat to cattle and beef prices, not humans, according to national reporting.
However, Gov. Abbott’s declaration warned that the parasite could lead to “widespread and severe property damage” across the state.
Critics have pointed to cuts made under the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, which reduced the USDA’s workforce by roughly 15 percent — around 15,000 employees — and terminated a USAID screwworm monitoring project.
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