US boosts drone surveillance as screwworms spread in Texas
▼ Summary
– Hundreds of US government drones have shifted from border surveillance to detecting screwworm infestations in wild and domestic animals this summer.
– New World Screwworm larvae, laid as eggs in wounds or body openings, can cause severe injury or death if untreated, with first cases appearing in South Texas in June.
– The USDA and CBP have conducted over 1,000 drone flights, surveying more than 22,000 animals, using at least 200 DHS-owned drones.
– As of August 12, 45 confirmed screwworm cases were reported in domesticated animals across South Texas and New Mexico, mostly cattle and sheep, with some dogs and a goat.
– Drone surveillance uses Skydio X10 quadcopters with thermal sensors to detect fever-related temperature changes and high-resolution imagery to spot open sores or abnormal behavior like “loner” animals.
Hundreds of government-operated drones have pivoted from their usual border patrol duties to a new mission this summer: scanning for signs of a destructive, flesh-eating parasite spreading through Texas wildlife and livestock. The New World Screwworm, a larval parasite that hatches from eggs deposited by flies into open wounds or natural openings of warm-blooded creatures, poses a severe threat when left untreated, often leading to debilitating injury or death in animals and even humans.
Following the first confirmed infestations in South Texas back in June, federal agencies have launched what the USDA is calling one of the most sweeping animal-health surveillance initiatives ever undertaken in the country. In social media posts published on August 10, the department detailed the scope of the operation, which involves at least 200 drones operated by the Department of Homeland Security, including its Customs and Border Protection (CBP) division. To date, the USDA reports completing more than 1,000 drone flights and visually inspecting over 22,000 animals in the affected regions.
Despite the massive scale of the aerial campaign, it remains unclear whether any of these flights have directly resulted in new detections of infested animals. According to the USDA’s tracking dashboard, there have been 45 confirmed cases in domesticated animals across South Texas and New Mexico as of August 12. The majority of these cases involve cattle and sheep, though several dogs and a single goat have also been identified as infected. Ars has reached out to both CBP and the USDA for further clarification on the exact number of drones deployed and whether any infestations were specifically uncovered through drone surveillance.
How the aerial surveillance works
The primary aircraft in this operation appears to be the Skydio X10 quadcopter, a drone outfitted with thermal imaging technology capable of detecting subtle temperature variations. These infrared sensors can flag animals with elevated body temperatures, a common symptom of secondary bacterial infections that often accompany screwworm infestations. Beyond thermal readings, drone operators working with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service utilize high-resolution color cameras to spot visible open sores on animal bodies or to identify behavioral red flags, such as animals that isolate themselves from the herd. This methodology was showcased in a USDA video documenting a ranch operation in Junction, Texas, on June 18.
(Source: Ars Technica)