A flesh-eating cattle parasite spreads beyond Texas as new screwworm cases are found
USDA is ramping up sterile fly releases and quarantines as officials warn the parasite could cost Texas $1.8 billion.
- On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced two new confirmed cases of the New World screwworm, bringing the total to four: three calves in Texas and one dog in New Mexico.
- The New World screwworm, a fly larva that consumes living flesh, was eliminated from the U.S. in the 1960s but has been tracked since its detection in Mexico in 2024.
- Entomologist Edward Burgess of the University of Florida noted that increased vigilance after initial cases may explain the rapid detections. "When that first case is seen, everyone is being vigilant," Burgess said.
- USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins plans to increase sterile fly production to halt outbreaks, while Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller criticized the federal response as too slow and proposed poison bait despite expert skepticism.
- Canada temporarily stopped importing livestock from Texas on Friday; beef prices have remained stable despite the outbreak. Officials encourage ranchers to monitor herds using a hotline open 24 hours a day.
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DARPA aiding America’s fight against flesh-eating screwworm invasion
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is actively involved in the U.S. government’s fight to stop the resurgence of the flesh-eating, New World Screwworm parasite infecting pets and livestock in at least two Southwest states. “Invasive species are a national resilience challenge with significant economic and food supply implications, which DARPA recognizes as a national security risk,” Catherine Campbell, program manager in the agency’s …
Texas activates emergency center as flesh-eating screwworm is confirmed in 6 US cases
With six U.S. detections of New World screwworm now recorded — five in Texas and one in New Mexico — Texas officials are stepping up efforts to contain the livestock parasite. The insect primarily threatens animals, but authorities are also urging veterinarians and pet owners to stay vigilant as cases spread farther across the Southwest, Newsweek reported. What's happening? The jump to six confirmed U.S. cases led Texas to activate a Level II re…
The parasitic fly has begun to re-affect cattle in Texas and New Mexico: there are five confirmed cases, including one dog
Welcome, Screwworms! Make Yourself At Home
The screwworms are here, as we predicted they would be. More than half a century after the parasitic pest was declared eradicated, the insects have escaped containment in South America and made it all the way to Texas, where they have not been seen since 1966. There are now five cases of the flesh-eating parasite in the United States, all confirmed in under a week. The first two were in calves in Zavala County, followed soon after by a calf in L…
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