Federal officials have confirmed five cases of New World screwworm in the United States as of Tuesday morning, with four detections in Texas and one reclassified to New Mexico, marking the first U.S. outbreak of the flesh-eating parasite in nearly 60 years.
The latest announcements Monday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) include a calf in La Salle County, a goat in Gillespie County, and a dog originally reported in Andrews County, Texas, that resides with a family in Lea County, New Mexico. This brings the total to three calves in Texas (two in Zavala County and one in La Salle), one goat in Gillespie County, and the New Mexico dog case.
The first U.S. case was detected June 3 in a 3-week-old calf with an umbilical lesion in Zavala County near La Pryor, about 90 miles from the Mexico border. A second Zavala County calf was confirmed June 5. No human cases have been reported.
USDA-APHIS, working with the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and state partners, has established quarantines, movement restrictions, enhanced surveillance, and accelerated releases of sterile flies in affected areas. Officials are urging ranchers, pet owners, and veterinarians to inspect animals for wounds containing maggots and report suspicions immediately. The parasite’s larvae feed on living tissue, posing a severe threat to livestock, wildlife, and pets that could lead to significant economic losses if it spreads.
The outbreak follows the pest’s northward advance through Central America and Mexico. Response efforts include incident command teams, expanded trapping, and public outreach via screwworm.gov. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster proclamation to support containment.
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