USDA Investigates Possible New World Screwworm Case in South Texas
Federal and state officials activated quarantines, surveillance and sterile-fly releases after confirmatory testing found the parasite in a 3-week-old calf.
- On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed the first New World screwworm case in Texas since 1966, identified in a 3-week-old calf in LaPryor approximately 50 miles from the Mexican border, threatening the state's $15 billion cattle industry.
- The parasite's larvae feed on living tissue, posing a significant threat to livestock. USDA officials monitored the pest's rapid movement across Mexico for over a year, attempting to prevent its entry into the United States.
- Texas State Veterinarian Bud Dinges established a 12-mile quarantine zone prohibiting warm-blooded animals from moving without inspection. The USDA began releasing sterile flies and started construction on a $750 million breeding facility in the region.
- Criticizing the federal response as too slow, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller urged President Donald Trump to deploy every available resource before the outbreak becomes a full-blown agricultural disaster.
- Officials tested over 58,000 fly samples and 19,000 wild animals to monitor spread. Rollins stated, "There is no threat of mass infestation," while the USDA deploys 8,000 fly traps along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Livestock Groups React to NWS Confirmation
(NAFB.com) – U.S. livestock groups reacted to the USDA’s confirmation of the New World Screwworm in South Texas. “The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and our state partner organizations have been working for more than a year to combat the incursion of the New World Screwworm, and we’re doing everything possible to protect the interests of America’s cattle producers,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. The National Milk Producers Federation said …
Quarantine ordered for animals in parts of South Texas after screwworm detected
Texas animal health officials have imposed a quarantine and movement restrictions on animals in parts of South Texas after the detection of New World screwworm.The Texas Animal Health Commission announced that an area covering Zavala County and portions of neighboring Uvalde County has been designated as "Infested Zone 01" following the June 3 detection.Under the order, warm-blooded animals within the quarantine zone cannot be moved outside the …
New World screwworm confirmed in Texas for the first time since 1966, raising concerns for cattle industry
A flesh-eating parasite has crossed into South Texas, but local ranchers say they have been preparing for this moment for more than a year.A case of the New World screwworm was found in a calf near the U.S.-Mexico border the first confirmed case in Texas since 1966. The parasite can cause serious harm to livestock, but cattle producers in the area say the threat is not new to them.Watch Full Story Here: New World screwworm confirmed in Texas for…
New World Screwworm Detected In Texas For First Time Since 1966, Threatening $1.8 Billion In Economic Damage
A case of New World screwworm has been confirmed in Zavala County, Texas, marking the first detection of the flesh-eating pest in the state since 1966. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the presence of the parasite in a three-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas, roughly 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Larvae were identified in the calf’s umbilical area, consistent with the pest’s known b…
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