Possible Flesh-Eating Screwworm Case in Texas, USDA Says
A sample from a cattle ranch was sent for confirmation as federal officials warn the parasite has spread to 32 cases in one Mexican state.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is testing samples from two calves in La Pryor, Texas, for a potential New World screwworm infestation, marking a critical investigation into the parasite's possible arrival.
- Parasite has been spreading northward through Mexico for years, prompting the USDA to invest millions in sterile fly production facilities and expanded surveillance to prevent the pest from crossing the U.S. border.
- Screwworm larvae burrow through living flesh of warm-blooded animals, and an outbreak could cause $1.8 billion in damage to Texas alone while shrinking the U.S. cattle supply, experts warn.
- Texas Representative Don McLaughlin reported seeing images of the larvae; the USDA confirmed a "presumptive positive" status but emphasized no confirmed case currently exists in the state.
- Federal officials activated personnel on the ground to provide updates, while cattle futures remain sensitive to market chatter about the potential threat of this flesh-eating parasite to livestock.
41 Articles
41 Articles
Officials confirm case of flesh-eating insect in the US: What to know
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of New World screwworm has been detected in South Texas, days after the parasite was detected 25 miles from the U.S. border in Mexico. Here's what to know.
A screwworm fly that bedeviled cattle ranchers decades ago has returned to Texas
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the New World screwworm fly has arrived in south Texas. The case announced Wednesday marks the first time in decades that the flesh-eating parasite has threatened the nation's cattle industry and only…
Helena Independent Record
Flesh-eating parasite New World screwworm confirmed in Texas, USDA says
Experts said an outbreak could cause $1.8 billion in damage to Texas' economy and likely would raise beef prices by shrinking cattle supply.
Associated Press News
Officials have a suspected case of the New World screwworm fly in south Texas, the USDA says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that it suspects that the the New World screwworm fly has arrived in south Texas.
USDA Detects First Case of New World Screwworm in South Texas
A case of the New World screwworm may have been detected in South Texas, possibly becoming the first known case of the flesh-eating parasite in the United States since 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced June 3. The sample was sent to USDA’s national veterinary laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for confirmation. “We have already activated personnel on the ground and are working with local partners,” the USDA posted on X. Fears of a…
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