- Two new cases of the New World screwworm have been confirmed in Texas, bringing the total to four and highlighting a persistent threat to the state's cattle industry.
- The screwworm, a fly whose larvae consume live flesh, was identified in a calf and a dog in La Salle and Andrews counties, hundreds of miles apart.
- This re-emergence follows the pest's elimination from the U.S. in the 1960s and its detection in Mexico late in 2024, after decades of containment.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is actively working to eradicate the pest, addressing immediate cases while pursuing broader eradication efforts.
- The USDA's strategy includes breeding sterile male flies to prevent reproduction and plans to increase sterile fly production and construct a new factory in Texas.
IN FULL
A parasite that devours living flesh is spreading in Texas—and officials are racing to stop it
