U.S. New World Screwworm Cases Rise to 20 as Texas Outbreak Expands
Federal and state officials are releasing sterile flies and expanding inspections as the outbreak spreads through Texas livestock herds.
- On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, Texas Animal Health Commission Executive Director Dr. Lewis R. Dinges declared "Infested Zone 09" as the U.S. total of New World screwworm cases reached 20.
- The current outbreak began on June 3, 2026, when the first case appeared in a 3-week-old calf in Zavala County; the New World screwworm targets open wounds on warm-blooded animals and was previously eradicated from the U.S.
- To combat the spread, the United States Department of Agriculture is releasing sterile flies—a strategy that previously eliminated the pest—while Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new South Texas production facility to increase supply.
- Warm-Blooded animals within Infested Zone 09 cannot move outside the area without TAHC permission, and unauthorized transport faces administrative penalties and criminal prosecution.
- Officials project the infestation will take multiple 21-day reproductive cycles to collapse, though the Texas Department of State Health Services emphasizes the direct risk to the public remains low.
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18 Articles
USDA Confirms Rise In Screwworm Cases To 25
USA Today reports: Confirmed cases of New World screwworm rose overnight in Texas, marking one of the biggest jumps so far as state and federal officials ramp up efforts to contain the parasite. The number of confirmed cases increased from 20 to 25. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the newest cases are in Crockett, Edwards and Medina counties. Over the past week, the United States saw 12 new cases of New World screwworm across se…
NEW: Trump Activates ‘Level 3’ — Something Serious Just Happened
Federal health officials have sprung into action following the detection of the New World screwworm, a destructive parasite capable of devastating livestock, pets, and wildlife, in animals across southern Texas and a county in New Mexico. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has activated a Level 3 emergency response — the lowest tier in the agency’s emergency response framework — to coordinate with agricultural authorities and c…
Woods, Waters, & Wildlife: Regarding New World Screwworms
by John Jefferson All daily newspapers and many smaller papers have done a great job sounding the alarm about the 2026 version of screwworms — and that’s certainly commendable! Enough cannot be written about the situation, though, and I want to share the latest word from the Texas Animal Health Commission. Regular readers of this column will recall I began including the advancing screwworm detections in February 2025 when the first cases crossed…
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