Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
The Smell You’ll Never Forget: A Calf Infested with New World Screwworm
The image, the smell, the emotions: five cattle producers and veterinarians from around the world share their first-hand experience with New World screwworm.
By Angie Stump Denton
Updated July 11, 2025 08:51 AM
“The stench…it’s like roadkill stewed in infection,” explains Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa, a cattle producer from Chiriqui, Panama, describing an animal that has been infected with New World screwworm (NWS). “You’ll smell it before you see it.”
He goes on to describe the appearance. “That little dehorning scrape you didn’t worry about? Now, it’s a fist-sized hole pulsating with maggots. Not on top, under the skin. Hundreds of cream-colored worms with screw-like spines, eating your cow alive.”
It’s a Plague in Panama
Gallardo is a Panamanian livestock production specialist and animal science professional with a diverse and practical background in cattle production, agricultural policy and international ranch management. He currently serves as the technical assistance team manager at Cooleche, R.L., where he leads strategic initiatives in cattle production and technical outreach.
“This ain’t ‘just flies.’ We’ve buried calves eaten alive in 48 hours,” Gallardo stresses.
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https://www.drovers.com/news/education/smell-youll-never-forget-calf-infested-new-world-screwworm
The image, the smell, the emotions: five cattle producers and veterinarians from around the world share their first-hand experience with New World screwworm.
By Angie Stump Denton
Updated July 11, 2025 08:51 AM
“The stench…it’s like roadkill stewed in infection,” explains Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa, a cattle producer from Chiriqui, Panama, describing an animal that has been infected with New World screwworm (NWS). “You’ll smell it before you see it.”
He goes on to describe the appearance. “That little dehorning scrape you didn’t worry about? Now, it’s a fist-sized hole pulsating with maggots. Not on top, under the skin. Hundreds of cream-colored worms with screw-like spines, eating your cow alive.”
It’s a Plague in Panama
Gallardo is a Panamanian livestock production specialist and animal science professional with a diverse and practical background in cattle production, agricultural policy and international ranch management. He currently serves as the technical assistance team manager at Cooleche, R.L., where he leads strategic initiatives in cattle production and technical outreach.
“This ain’t ‘just flies.’ We’ve buried calves eaten alive in 48 hours,” Gallardo stresses.
...
https://www.drovers.com/news/education/smell-youll-never-forget-calf-infested-new-world-screwworm