New World Screwworm Cases Confirmed in Texas as USDA Launches Eradication Effort
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed four cases of New World screwworm in Texas, including two newly identified cases in a calf and dog located hundreds of miles apart. The screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae consume living flesh, was eliminated from the U.S. in the 1960s but re-emerged after being detected in Mexico in late 2024. The USDA is responding with sterile fly breeding programs and increased production capacity to prevent a widespread outbreak that could devastate the cattle industry.
Four cases of New World screwworm have been confirmed in Texas, with two additional cases announced Monday by the USDA, bringing the total from an initial two cases discovered in young calves in La Salle and Andrews counties. The screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living flesh of warm-blooded animals, including cattle, wildlife, pets, and occasionally humans, after females deposit eggs in open wounds. The pest was successfully eliminated from the United States in the 1960s but re-emerged after decades of containment when it was detected in Mexico in late 2024. The USDA is responding with a multi-pronged approach, including breeding sterile male flies that mate with wild females to prevent reproduction, and plans to increase sterile fly production at facilities outside the U.S. while constructing a new fly factory in Texas. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins was scheduled to be briefed on the infestation at the U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville, Texas.
What different sources said
- The IndependentLeft
A parasite that devours living flesh is spreading in Texas—and officials are racing to stop it
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