A flesh-eating cattle parasite spreads beyond Texas as new screwworm cases are found
Federal officials say sterile-fly production is months away as ranchers race to contain a pest that could devastate the cattle industry.
- 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.
57 Articles
57 Articles
3 New Cases of Flesh-Eating Screwworm Parasite Confirmed in the U.S., Posing 'Serious Threat' to Livestock and Wildlife
The parasite typically finds points of entry through the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or genitals of warm-blooded mammals, according to the CDCCochliomyia hominivorax, the New World Screwworm fly (stock image)Credit: GettyNEED TO KNOWOn Monday, June 8, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that three new cases of flesh-eating screwworm have been reported in Texas and New Mexico“We will continue to watch the data very, very, very closel…
Flesh-eating screwworm detected In Texas, threatening already-strained U.S. cattle herd
Concerns over the New World screwworm (NWS) have been building for the last 12 months as the deadly cattle parasite spread through Mexico and the Trump administration attempted to prevent its spread into the U.S. Those concerns have now turned into red alerts after the USDA confirmed a single case in Texas, marking the first U.S. detection in years. "A case of NWS may have been detected in South Texas. The sample is now at USDA's National Veteri…
Tuesday morning news: June 9, 2026
The news of the day including a top Iranian official casting doubt on reaching a peace deal, the U.S. government scrambles to eradicate a parasite threatening the cattle industry, and a candidate for L.A. mayor not advancing to the runoff election.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 35% of the sources lean Left
![[your]NEWS](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroundnews.b-cdn.net%2Finterests%2Ffb6dc495f74049f513563c33352175eaa0ecd509.jpg%3Fwidth%3D60&w=128&q=75)
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
