Jordan News

Ministry takes measures against parasites' entry into Jordan

AMMAN: The Ministry of Agriculture is taking measures along Jordan's border with Iraq to spare the Kingdom's animals from a deadly parasite. According to the head of the ministry's Veterinary Department, Assad Abu Ragheb, Jordan is studying how to prevent a possible infestation of the screwworm fly, which hit Iraq in 1996. Abu Ragheb told the Jordan Times yesterday that the Kingdom is still free of the parasite but that if it became established in the country, it could cost the nation dearly by killing livestock, poultry, canines, felines and other mammals. Abu Ragheb said several monitoring, medical and public awareness teams have been formed and dispatched around the country to help prevent the entry of the worm from Iraq and to advise farmers, breeders and other citizens of the signs of possible infestation in their animals. The defensive plans include setting traps for the worms as well as the construction of trenches and sand walls on the northeastern border to combat animal smuggling. Imported livestock will also be more closely examined and monitored, Abu Ragheb said. Similar activities to combat the worm are being conducted by Syria and Iraq. According to the Iraqi Veterinary General Department, Iraq has reported 60,000 cases of screwworm fly disease affecting hens, sheep, goats, cows, horses, dogs and cats across the country's 13 districts. There are two species of screwworm fly: the Old World (Chrysomya bezziana) and the New World (Cochliomyia hominivorax) species. The flies are parasites affecting warm-blooded animals and are screw shaped and ringed with small threads. They feed on live meat, causing large gaping wounds which may lead to dramatic loss of condition and even death of livestock, humans and living tissues. Each female fly deposits about 200-400 eggs near an open wound. The larvae burrow into the tissue, drop to the ground when mature, and pupate before emerging as adults. Sterilisation of male flies has been used in attempts to control screwworms. The Old World screwworm fly is found throughout much of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Papua-New Guinea. The New World screwworm fly is found in tropical and sub-tropical areas of Central and South America. It has been eliminated from the U.S. and most of Mexico. In areas of the world where screwworm fly exists, every husbandry practice associated with wounds, including castration and dehorning, must be accompanied by inspection of those wounds to ensure the fly does not become established, experts said.