By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Ranchers could have another tool to help protect their herds from New World screwworm.

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Medgene are investing $499,996 through a Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant to develop and test a vaccine that targets proteins essential to the growth and survival of screwworm larvae.

The vaccine would trigger antibodies in cattle that interfere with the larvae’s ability to feed on tissue and complete their life cycle.

Researchers are vaccinating cattle, evaluating the vaccine’s safety and measuring immune responses to determine whether it can advance to field studies.

“We urgently need multiple tools to protect cattle and other vulnerable livestock,” Dr. Jasmine Bruno, FFAR scientific program director, said. “A vaccine could provide a critical additional layer of protection while complementing existing control efforts.”

New World screwworm larvae infest wounds and feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. Infestations can cause serious injury or death if left untreated. Producers are encouraged to regularly inspect livestock for wounds and signs of infestation.

“There isn’t one solution to protecting cattle from New World screwworm. It will take a combination of prevention, monitoring and effective control methods to help protect livestock,” Tracy Tomascik, Texas Farm Bureau associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities, said.

If successful, the vaccine could be particularly valuable on large ranches, where cattle are spread across vast acreage and frequent monitoring and treatment can be challenging.

The vaccine would complement existing control measures, including sterile insect release programs That are being used to reduce screwworm populations.