FLESH-EATING SCREWWORM PARASITE CONFIRMED IN TEXAS

United States agriculture officials have confirmed the presence of New World Screwworm in Texas, marking the first detection of the parasite in the state since 1966. The screwworm is a flesh-eating parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. The confirmation ends a decades-long absence of the pest from U.S. soil. The detection poses a direct risk to American cattle herds.

New World Screwworm was eradicated from the United States in the latter half of the 20th century through a sustained federal program. The parasite spreads when flies lay eggs in open wounds on livestock, and the hatching larvae feed on living flesh. Left untreated, infestations can prove fatal to affected animals. The reappearance in Texas represents the first confirmed domestic case in nearly 60 years. Cattle ranchers in the region face the most immediate exposure risk.

The confirmation places U.S. livestock industries on alert at a national level. Agriculture authorities are responsible for containing the outbreak and preventing further geographic spread. Screwworm eradication programs historically relied on the release of sterile flies to suppress wild populations. Federal agencies now face the task of assessing the scale of the current infestation. The outcome will determine the response measures applied across affected and at-risk areas.