Tag Archives: Texas

Texas Governor Declares Disaster to Combat Screwworm Threat

Governor Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration Thursday, January 29th to prevent a certain species of screwworm fly from entering Texas, mobilizing state resources against a parasite. “Although… not yet present in Texas or the U.S., its northward spread from Mexico toward the U.S. southern border poses a serious threat,” Abbott stated.

Cochliomyia hominivorax, also called Coquerel or New World screwworms, are parasites endemic in South America and the Caribbean. Not new to America, the U.S. was declared free of the parasite in 1966 by the US Department of Agriculture, after successful eradication efforts. A small outbreak occurred in the Florida Keys in 2017.

According to the US Embassy in Costa Rica, “screwworm flies predominantly affect cattle, but frequently affect dogs… and occasionally affect humans.” Experts warn that maggots can burrow into vulnerable tissue like the brain, causing sepsis. Sepsis can cause severe brain damage through systemic inflammation, disrupting the blood-brain barrier (BBB), oxygen deprivation, and neuroinflammation, leading to acute issues like delirium and coma, and long-term cognitive deficits. The Embassy further discusses the story of a 15-year-old girl developed intense headaches after 45 larvae infested a scalp wound, demonstrating risks to children and representing the first human death since the 1990s.

Protection requires cleaning and covering all wounds, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and using EPA-registered insect repellents.

Lawsuit to Take Down Austin Police for Takedown Consequences

On January 6, 2026, Natalie Gialenes reportedly filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Austin and a former Officer following a December 2024 incident that reportedly caused her a traumatic brain injury. Gialenes contends that while handcuffed for public intoxication, she bent down to retrieve her dropped ID when a police officer threw her to the ground. Her head struck the pavement with an audible impact that caused bleeding. Her attorney reports she now experiences cognitive difficulties that will affect her for life, including forcing her to withdraw from paralegal school. The Austin Police Association, however, maintains that Gialenes was highly intoxicated, had admitted using cocaine and alcohol, and pulled away from the officer during escort, requiring the takedown to maintain control.

Since 1989, officers have been subject to the Supreme Court order defined in federal Graham v. Connor, which includes the statement, “the facts and circumstances related to the use of force should drive the analysis, rather than any improper intent or motivation by the officer who used force.” Police takedowns are physical control techniques designed to bring suspects safely to the ground, occurring in approximately 21% of use-of-force incidents nationwide. Research indicates injury rates when force is used are estimated in a wide range, from 17 – 64%, with most injuries being minor bruises or strains. Data from the University of Illinois Chicago’s Law Enforcement Epidemiology Project states that 12.6% of civilians hospitalized from law enforcement encounters suffered traumatic brain injuries.

Texas law, as will law in all 50 states, mandates comprehensive use-of-force training for all officers. This training emphasizes de-escalation and proportional response. As Texas Government Code states, officers must provide “first aid or treatment to the extent of the officer’s skill and training” when encountering injured persons. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis indefinitely suspended the Officer, calling his actions “reprehensible.”

Caring for Man’s Best Friend

The benefits of dog ownership are well-known.  “Owning a dog can lift your mood or help you feel less stressed.”  For veterans and others with disabilities, the benefits of have a dog, specifically service dogs, go beyond this: dogs can serve by helping or even doing certain tasks that the handlers cannot do themselves.

However, what happens when the dog is the one with a brain injury?  Yes, dog’s skulls are harder than those of humans and surrounded by protective fluid, both of which make brain injuries less common in them.  (This is fortunate for animals who play/fight for fun, may bump into coffee tables as they chase after toys, etc.)  Canines though, can get brain injuries in the same ways that humans can: a car accident, a fall, etc.  The possible symptoms are also similar to those of humans:  bleeding from the nose or ears, coma, confusion, death, disorientation, facial weakness, lethargy, loss of consciousness, paralysis, pupil dilation, seizures, and stumbling.

Once these symptoms begin to occur what do you do?  For these members of the family, seeking medical help should be the next step.  Going to the local veterinarian is definitely the appropriate action, but there are also neuro-veterinarian specialists.  While this is a very limited profession, it’s not impossible to find.  It is fortuitous to an injured canine if their owner lives in Arizona, as they have access to this professional expertise.  (For example, Lucky, a dog found shot in the Arizona desert by border control officers earlier this year, was relatively fortunate that such help was available to him.)

One thing not to do is to abandon the dog.  This is what happened earlier this month to one dog in Sacramento, CA .  A woman, assuredly not the owner, found an injured dog on the streets and brought him to the Sacramento County Bradshaw Animal Shelter.  The dog, now named Thomas, has gone through multiple tests, yet the doctors still do not know what happened to him, just that it resulted in a severe brain injury.  “He is such a fighter… Baby Thomas wants everyone to know he is determined to heal, grow up and live a long, mischievous life!”  This and so many other examples show the need for Sacramento Counties non-profit T.E.A.M. – Teaching Everyone Animals Matter.  (As of March 16, the owner of Thomas has still not been found.  T.E.A.M. is now offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.)

(Most states have laws prohibiting animal cruelty.  For example, 3 weeks ago, a 27-year-old man was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Texas for abusing his boxer puppy.  Most of these states also have a law prohibiting animal abandonment.)