Austin Wildlife Rescue stops taking mammals and birds from 7 counties over flesh-eating screwworm

State quarantine directives related to the New World screwworm have led Austin Wildlife Rescue to stop accepting birds and mammals from seven Texas counties, CBS Austin reported.

What's happening?

Under Texas Animal Health Commission quarantine orders, Austin Wildlife Rescue said it will not take in mammals or birds from Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle, Uvalde, Webb, and Zavala counties. It said reptiles from those counties, including turtles, tortoises, snakes, and lizards, are still being accepted.

To try to contain the parasite, health officials created four infested zones after confirming five New World screwworm cases in the state.

Zone 3, the affected area closest to Austin, includes Gillespie, Kerr, and Kimble counties. Officials established it after the parasite was found in a goat in Harper, per CBS Austin.

In warm-blooded animals, New World screwworm larvae invade tissue and can cause severe damage that sometimes leads to death.

Why does it matter?

People in these counties have fewer options if they find an injured bird or mammal that needs rehabilitation.

Because the screwworm targets warm-blooded animals, the restrictions also affect livestock, pets, and wildlife.

Quarantine restrictions could also limit wildlife rehabilitation work in the affected areas.

What's being done?

The quarantine zones are shaping what groups such as Austin Wildlife Rescue are allowed to do.

The situation could change as officials track new cases.

CBS Austin reported that Austin Wildlife Rescue said the restrictions are required and subject to change.

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