Fast Wound Healing Tips for Screwworm Defense

New World Screwworm (NWS) isn’t a distant headline anymore. As of mid-June 2026, USDA APHIS has confirmed multiple cases in Texas and New Mexico, the first detections on U.S. soil in roughly 60 years. We covered identification and reporting in detail in our article, New World Screwworm in Horses: What to Know. This post is about the one habit that matters most right now: how fast you get a wound clean and healed.

First, the most important sentence here:

If you ever suspect screwworm because you see a wound that won’t close, has unusual drainage or visible larvae, the first call is to your veterinarian or state animal health official. NWS is a reportable disease, and the only path to treatment runs through a vet and USDA’s response network. No over the counter product is a substitute for that call.

Why wound care is your first line of defense

Screwworm flies, like most flies, are drawn to open wounds and moist tissue. They don’t create the opportunity, they take advantage of one that’s already there. That means the single most useful thing you can do every day this season isn’t anything exotic. It’s the same thing good horsekeeping has always asked for, just with higher stakes: notice the cut, clean it, and help it close fast.

That’s where Silver Honey® earns its place in the barn aisle. It pairs Manuka honey with MicroSilver BG® in a formula built to help heal wounds rapidly. It starts working the moment it touches the skin, helping clear bacteria, support the body’s own healing process, and soften scabbing so new tissue can form underneath. Silver Honey® Rapid Wound Repair is effective on a wide range of wounds, cuts, scrapes and skin conditions. The same formula works across horses, dogs, cats, and other animals, so it’s one product doing the job for the whole barn or household. The faster a wound moves from open to healing, the smaller the window any fly has to take advantage of it. That’s the whole logic and it doesn’t depend on which species of fly you’re worried about.

A few minutes of attention on a fresh scrape today is a far better use of time than wondering about it tomorrow.

Don’t forget the other half of the routine

Most horse owners already know UltraShield® EX as the fly spray in the black bottle, and that reputation still matters here. UltraShield® EX is an EPA registered product that protects against more than 70 species of biting and nuisance insects (as indicated on the label) and is a real part of keeping flies off your horses and dogs in the first place. Pair consistent fly control with the wound-care practices above, and you’ve covered both sides of the equation: fewer flies, and less for them to be drawn to.

Stay current

This is a fast-moving situation, with USDA updating confirmed case counts multiple times a week. For the latest on detections, affected areas, and reporting contacts, go straight to the source: Screwworm.gov and your state animal health office.

This article is for general informational purposes and isn’t a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow product label directions, and contact your veterinarian or state animal health official immediately if you suspect a screwworm infestation.

MicroSilver BG® is a registered trademark of Bio-Gate AG.