The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed two additional New World screwworm infections in Texas after cases were discovered hundreds of miles apart in a calf and a dog. The new infections bring the state’s confirmed total to four.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the latest cases were identified in La Salle and Andrews counties. The agency previously confirmed infections in two calves found near one another last week.
The New World screwworm is a fly whose larvae consume the living flesh of warm-blooded animals through open wounds. The parasite can infect cattle, wildlife, pets and, in rare cases, humans.
U.S. Department of Agriculture marketing and regulatory undersecretary Dudley Hoskins said the agency is continuing to sample suspected cases while working to eradicate the pest. “We are simultaneously working to eradicate the pest entirely,” Hoskins said in a statement.
Federal officials have been attempting to contain the screwworm since it was detected in Mexico in late 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it plans to expand sterile fly production outside the United States while constructing a new fly production facility in Texas.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was scheduled to receive a briefing Monday at the U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville as containment efforts continue.
Texas Screwworm Cases Raise Fears over Herd Losses, Underreported Infections and Beef Prices
The growing number of infections has raised concerns among ranchers and residents about the potential spread of the flesh-eating parasite across cattle operations.
“Great way to decimate your herd,” one response stated, while another wrote, “And there go the beef prices…again.”
Several reactions focused on uncertainty surrounding the tnumber of infections already circulating in livestock. “Its worse than you think,” one user wrote. Another added, “We have no idea how many are not being reported.”
Some comments questioned whether earlier public warnings could have reduced the risk to ranchers and nearby communities. “warn us about this early,” one response stated.
Other reactions centered on the physical impact of the parasite itself as infections continued spreading across counties hundreds of miles apart. “Cut away necrotized flesh,” one user wrote, while another added, “The problem is that screwworms eat healthy flesh.”
Federal officials continue to sample for suspected infections as containment efforts expand across Texas and along the southern border.
