The Hill reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has identified a second instance of a flesh-eating parasite, known as the screwworm, in Texas. The department is working swiftly to control the outbreak to prevent it from causing significant damage to the cattle industry.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of the New World screwworm in a month-old calf in Zavala County. This discovery came after testing several suspected cases and was made within six miles of another reported case in a young calf earlier in the week.
“The USDA has acted promptly regarding this second case, showcasing our readiness,” stated Dudley Hoskins, the under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs. “This detection falls within the designated movement control zone and area for enhanced sterile insect release.”
This marks the second confirmed occurrence of the screwworm in Texas since 1966. Authorities have assured that other samples from the region have tested negative for the parasite.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New World screwworm is a parasitic fly that preys on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Its larvae develop into maggots that burrow into tissue, leading to painful and often malodorous wounds.
It is typically found in South America and parts of the Caribbean; however, APHIS notes that it has been steadily creeping north into Central America and Mexico since 2023.
“Many models projected this pest would reach the United States last year, but thanks to USDA’s phenomenal work and our cooperation with state, federal, and industry partners, we’ve held it off until now—when we are far more prepared to respond,” Hoskins said.
All southern ports of entry into the U.S. were closed to livestock trade last July following an order from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
USDA reported on Friday that mobile response trailers had been deployed in the infestation area and “sterile fly releases,” including 2 million in the air and 4 million on the ground per week, were underway.
“Movement control zones are in place, surveillance is intensified, and treatment supplies are available through [the Texas Animal Health Commission],” the department wrote on the social platform X. “We have defeated this pest before, and we will do it again.”
If unchecked, a New World Screwworm outbreak could have devastating economic consequences for Texas, the top cattle-producing state in the country.
A sizeable outbreak could result in $1.8 billion in losses for the Lone Star State Economy and cost producers upwards of $732 million per year, APHIS projected last year.
“Texas livestock producers and all Texans must now be vigilant in their efforts to manage and combat the invasive pest,” Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said on Wednesday.