CDC activates emergency response to screwworm infestations
Federal officials say 110 USDA staffers and millions of sterile flies are being deployed to stop the parasite’s spread.
- On Friday, June 12, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services activated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emergency response at level 3, the agency's lowest level, to coordinate federal efforts against the New World Screwworm outbreak.
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins reported 110 full-time USDA staffers are working to eradicate the pest, which spreads when female flies lay eggs in open wounds and has infected at least nine animals across Texas and New Mexico.
- FDA approval authorized Generic Nitenpyram tablets for cats and dogs weighing at least two pounds and at least four weeks old, providing immediate treatment options for infected domestic animals.
- Colorado implemented new inspection and transportation rules after state veterinarian Maggie Baldwin warned that "one single case can be very robust" and costly to animal owners and governments alike.
- While human risk remains rare, the CDC documented one infection in 2025 when a traveler returned from Central America, underscoring why officials are monitoring the primarily livestock-focused outbreak.
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TAMU Veterinary Emergency Team to aid TAHC with response to New World Screw Worm
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas (FOX 44) - The New World Screwworm has quickly consumed the headlines in quite a few places. Thankfully, here in Texas, we have organizations like the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team that is willing to step up and help when and wherever the need arises. This Saturday, June 13, 2026, the TAMU [...]
CDC activates emergency response for New World Screwworm outbreak
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to Scripps News that it is responding to the New World Screwworm outbreak by activating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emergency response at level 3, which is the agencys lowest level.Although the risk for human infections is rare, the CDC documented a human case in 2025 when a traveler returned from a trip to Central America, where the pest is prevalent.New World Screwwor…
CDC activates emergency response for New World Screwworm
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to Scripps News that it is responding to the New World Screwworm outbreak by activating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emergency response at level 3, which is the agencys lowest level.Although the risk for human infections is rare, the CDC documented a human case in 2025 when a traveler returned from a trip to Central America, where the pest is prevalent.New World Screwwor…
CDC Declares Emergency Over Screwworm Outbreak
The Hill reports: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) activated a formal emergency response to the New World screwworm on Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed, after the parasitic fly was found in cattle for the first time in decades. The Department of Agriculture is leading the response on the animal side by monitoring cattle and livestock and dispersing sterile flies to control the spread of the scre…
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