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Volume 31, Number 9—September 2025

Research Letter

New World Screwworm Infestation in Wild Mountain Tapirs, Central Andes Mountains, Colombia

Juan Camilo Cepeda-Duque, Leidy Johana Cano-González, Gerardo Elejalde, Juan Camilo Mantilla, Diego Álvarez-Arellano, Julio Cesar Gómez-Salazar, Victoria Rodríguez, Diego J. Lizcano, Jesús Alfredo Cortés-Vecino, Álvaro A. Faccini-Martínez, Thiago Fernandes Martins, Jacob Owens, Jordan Davis-Powell, Liza Dadone, Carlos Galvis, Budhan S. Pukazhenthi, and Juliana VélezComments to Author 
Author affiliation: Tiger Cats Conservation Initiative, Dosquebradas, Colombia (J.C. Cepeda-Duque); Organización Ambiental Chinampa, Pereira, Colombia (J.C. Cepeda-Duque, L.J. Cano-González, J.C. Mantilla); International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Species Survival Commission, Tapir Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland (J.C. Cepeda-Duque, V. Rodríguez, D.J. Lizcano, J. Owens, J. Davis-Powell, L. Dadone, C. Galvis, B.S. Pukazhenthi, J. Vélez); Laboratorio de Entomología, Corporación Universitaria de Santa Rosa de Cabal, Santa Rosa de Cabal, Colombia (G. Elejalde, D. Álvarez-Arellano); Corporación Autónoma Regional de Risaralda, Pereira (J.C. Gómez-Salazar); Wildlife Conservation Society, Colombia, Cali, Colombia (D.J. Lizcano); Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia (J.A. Cortés-Vecino); Hospital Militar Central, Bogota (Á.A. Faccini-Martínez); Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogota (Á.A. Faccini-Martínez); Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil (T.F. Martins); Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles, California, USA (J. Owens, J. Davis-Powell); Giraffe Veterinary Services, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA (L. Dadone); Fundación Zoológica de Cali, Cali (C. Galvis); Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA (B.S. Pukazhenthi); Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA (J. Vélez); The Natural Capital Project, Stanford University, Stanford (J. Vélez)

Main Article

Figure 1

Myiasis in cases of New World screwworm infestation in wild mountain tapirs, Central Andes Mountains, Colombia. Myiasis and active larvae can be seen in large, 8–10-cm wounds on left side of adult male tapir (A, C) and on right hindquarters of adult female tapir (B, D). Both tapirs were in the Ucumari Regional Natural Park, Risaralda, Colombia. We retrieved 2 larvae from the female tapir’s wound and placed in a box until they pupated; after 12 days they emerged as adults (both male) (Appendix Figure 1), which we stored in 96% ethyl alcohol. We collected 20 larvae from the male tapir and stored in 70% ethyl alcohol.

Figure 1. Myiasis in cases of New World screwworm infestation in wild mountain tapirs, Central Andes Mountains, Colombia. Myiasis and active larvae can be seen in large, 8–10-cm wounds on left side of adult male tapir (A, C) and on right hindquarters of adult female tapir (B, D). Both tapirs were in the Ucumari Regional Natural Park, Risaralda, Colombia. We retrieved 2 larvae from the female tapir’s wound and placed in a box until they pupated; after 12 days they emerged as adults (both male) (Appendix Figure 1), which we stored in 96% ethyl alcohol. We collected 20 larvae from the male tapir and stored in 70% ethyl alcohol.

Main Article

Page created: July 08, 2025
Page updated: August 26, 2025
Page reviewed: August 26, 2025
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