Traveling with animals to Fla. Keys -Screw Worm

Clicky

Thanks for the info.

Appreciate that clicky - on the highway and the 4G comes and goes.

The ag inspector was a nice guy who was telling us about the process the state is now using of irradiating male flies to render them sterile and try to wipe out the population.

We have friends who travel the Keys on their yacht - who checks their dog? But then, they stay on Marathon Key so it's probably moot.

azdryheat wrote:
We have friends who travel the Keys on their yacht - who checks their dog? But then, they stay on Marathon Key so it's probably moot.

Good question. The USDA is trying to contain this so it doesn't spread to infest the livestock industry.

Actually Marathon is about 50 miles closer to Big Pine Key where all the endangered Key Deer have died than we were up in Key Largo.

Here's the Quarantine Zone Directive: (basically everything south of Key Largo/Mile Marker #91)

Zone

We were going to do some camping in FL this winter - maybe we'll avoid the Keys until they get this under control (which it sounds like they're pretty good at doing!) Also makes me wonder if there will be a concern with a fly or two hitchhiking in an RV?

Thanks for letting us know.

That's great, now we have screw worms to go with the screwballs

Thanks for info. We're planning on being in the Keys for Christmas - good to know to expect this ahead of time.

Just an FYI, for those, who like me, are saying "Wait - we have those in OUR area"?? - the answer is "probably not". I remember my friend's barn kittens having fly larva growing in their necks and needing to be removed - I thought those were "Screw Worms" - but they're not, after doing some reading. They're Cuterebra/Botfly/"Wolf" larva; and aside from grossing-out the owners of the pets affected, they *usually* don't do much damage. A vet can remove them, then treats the wound like an abcess.

Screw worms eggs are laid in an open wound or mucous tissue, and then the larva eat the live tissue of their host. They had been eradicated from the USA until this batch showed up. I'm assuming that most RVing pets would NOT be at risk since we don't leave our pets outside all day, nor leave them with untreated wounds. I'll avoid the area simply so there's 2 less dogs that have to be checked.