There has been a lot of chatter recently about a certain flesh-eating parasite that has made its way across the southern U.S. border. We’ve known it’s been coming for a while, but once it got here, it still made quite a splash. At this point, I would wager most of those reading this article have been inundated with information from experts, novices and conspiracy theorists alike. My goal with this month’s article isn’t necessarily to confirm or contradict the narratives floating around regarding New World screwworm (NWS). Rather, I would like to reflect on this month’s theme, Raised Right, and how it relates to the history of disease eradication and prevention in the United States and beyond.

Some days I wonder if we realize just how good we’ve got it. At the turn of the 20th century, nearly one in 10 infants died before their first birthday, often due to milk-borne diseases such as brucellosis, Q fever or tuberculosis; now these diseases are rare to non-existent. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks were also once common in the United States, but thankfully this viral disease has not been diagnosed in U.S. cattle since 1929.

Such an outbreak was a major theme in Hud, a critically acclaimed movie from the 1960s adapted from Larry McMurtry’s first novel, Horseman, Pass By. Hud tells the story of an upright, traditional cattle rancher, Homer Bannon, his profligate son Hudson (a.k.a. Hud) and grandson Lonnie as they deal with the fallout of an outbreak of FMD on their Texas ranch.

When the disease was initially detected in the Bannons’ cattle, Hud wanted to sell the cattle without notifying the authorities to preserve the value of the ranch. However, Homer refused on the grounds it wasn’t morally defensible to endanger their neighbors or the industry at large.
This conflict sets up a major theme that persists throughout the movie. 

On one end of the spectrum is the morally upright and stalwart Homer; on the other is his selfish, cynical and nihilistic son Hud. The rub is that Hud was played by none other than Paul Newman, whose acting chops and on-screen charisma made him both despicable and yet somehow attractive at the same time.

Lessons learned

When I think about the most recent cases of NWS infestation, I wonder which side of the spectrum society will gravitate towards: Homer or Hud. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by governments and public health officials certainly damaged the trust society once had in its institutions. Popular culture in the cattle industry has changed as well. We seem to have shifted from Larry McMurtry to Taylor Sheridan; from questions of ethics and moral obligations to conflicts over sovereignty and cultural heritage. None of these trends seem to bode well for eradicating Cochliomyia hominivorax, especially when we consider it isn’t just cattle that can carry and spread this parasite.

Nevertheless, it is instructive to consider almost all of the once common and devastating diseases listed above were eradicated from the United States before modern vaccines, antibiotics and/or diagnostic tests were invented. It’s true NWS was eradicated with the help of some cutting-edge technology, and this will likely be a critical tool for controlling the most recent outbreak. However, I believe the most important element of these successful eradication efforts was a willingness on the part of stakeholders to forego short-term interests, when necessary, in order to preserve and protect the long-term health of the industry and society at large. If we lose that, it won’t matter how many sterile flies are released; either this plague or another like it will find us, and afflict us until we learn the lessons of the past. 

I know that can be an awfully big ask for those who are caught up in the whirlwind of an outbreak, but if there is any segment of society that I would put my trust in to make the hard, yet necessary choices, it would be the U.S. cattle industry.  

Editor’s note: Todd Gunderson is a clinical assistant professor, beef production medicine, at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.