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USDA Confirms Flesh-Eating Screwworm in Texas Calf, Initiates Eradication Measures

USDA Confirms Flesh-Eating Screwworm in Texas Calf, Initiates Eradication Measures

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed the presence of a flesh-eating New World screwworm in a three-week-old calf located in Zavala County, Texas. The USDA is taking immediate action to eradicate the parasitic fly by establishing a 12-mile 'infested zone' around the detection site, implementing quarantines, increasing traps for screwworms along the border, and setting up an Incident Command Team with the Texas Animal Health Commission. The screwworm, typically found in South America and parts of the Caribbean, has been detected farther north in Central America and Mexico over the last three years. The USDA has invested heavily in tools to eliminate the screwworm, which can infest livestock and other warm-blooded animals, including humans in rare cases.
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Texas Detects New World Screwworm, Raising Concerns for Livestock Industry

Texas Detects New World Screwworm, Raising Concerns for Livestock Industry

The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, has been detected in a calf in Texas, marking the first U.S. case since its eradication in 1966. The parasite, which infects warm-blooded animals, was found in a calf near the Mexico border. The screwworm is believed to have traveled from Central America to Mexico before reaching Texas. The USDA has established a quarantine zone and is implementing measures to prevent the spread of the parasite. The detection is significant due to the potential impact on the livestock industry, with concerns about increased beef prices and economic losses.
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Texas Screwworm Case Sparks Livestock Alarm

Texas Screwworm Case Sparks Livestock Alarm

A flesh-eating parasite once eradicated from the United States has resurfaced in a Texas calf, prompting an urgent USDA response. The New World screwworm can infest wounds in warm-blooded animals, causing severe infections and even death. Officials say the parasite poses a major threat to livestock production and could raise beef prices nationwide. Emergency containment measures, including quarantines and sterile fly releases, are now underway.
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Screwworm Fly Detected in Texas Calf, Quarantine Zone Established to Protect Livestock

Screwworm Fly Detected in Texas Calf, Quarantine Zone Established to Protect Livestock

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of the New World screwworm fly in a calf in La Pryor, Texas, marking the first detection in decades. This parasite, known for its flesh-eating larvae, poses a threat to the cattle industry. A 12-mile quarantine zone has been established to prevent the movement of warm-blooded animals, including pets, without inspection. The USDA has been proactive in preventing the fly's spread by releasing sterile flies to mate with wild females, a method previously successful in eradicating the pest. The USDA remains confident that there is no threat of a mass infestation.
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Screwworm Fly Detected in Texas, Revives Concerns Over Livestock Safety

Screwworm Fly Detected in Texas, Revives Concerns Over Livestock Safety

The New World screwworm fly has been detected in a calf in LaPryor, Texas, marking the first confirmed case in the state since 1966. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established a 12-mile quarantine zone to prevent the movement of warm-blooded animals, including pets, without inspection. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized that while the larvae pose a threat to livestock, they do not infest food. The USDA has been proactive in preventing the fly's spread from Mexico, where it has been a concern for over a year.
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USDA and Texas Officials Take Action Against Screwworm Infestation in Texas

USDA and Texas Officials Take Action Against Screwworm Infestation in Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the detection of a New World screwworm in a calf in Zavala County, Texas. The USDA and Texas officials are taking immediate action to contain and eradicate the pest, including establishing a 20 km infested zone around the detection site and enforcing quarantines, movement controls, and surveillance in the area. The screwworm, known for its larvae that eat living tissue, poses a threat to livestock and can cause significant economic losses in the agricultural sector. The USDA has invested heavily in tools to eliminate the screwworm, which has been detected in Central America and Mexico.
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Mississippi Assures Public of Food Safety Amid Screwworm Detection in Texas

Mississippi Assures Public of Food Safety Amid Screwworm Detection in Texas

The Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce has assured the public that the recent detection of the New World screwworm fly in Texas poses no threat to Mississippi's food safety. The USDA confirmed the presence of the parasite in a calf in Texas, but the state's food supply remains safe due to stringent inspection protocols. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service ensures that any evidence of screwworm infestation is identified during inspections, preventing contaminated products from entering the food supply. The Commissioner emphasized that the issue is primarily an animal health concern rather than a food safety issue.
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Screwworm fly detected in Texas decades after cattle threat was largely eradicated in US

Screwworm fly detected in Texas decades after cattle threat was largely eradicated in US

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the New World screwworm fly has arrived in south Texas
AP News AP News
A screwworm fly that bedeviled cattle ranchers decades ago has returned to Texas

A screwworm fly that bedeviled cattle ranchers decades ago has returned to Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the New World screwworm fly has arrived in south Texas
Reuters Reuters
Explainer-How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices

Explainer-How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices

By Heather Schlitz CHICAGO, June 4 (Reuters) - New World screwworm, a devastating parasite that eats cattle and other wild animals alive, traveled north from Central America to Mexico before being confirmed in a Texas calf on Wednesday, creeping past biological barriers that kept the pest contained
USA Today USA Today
New World screwworm close to US. More on the flesh-eating parasite

New World screwworm close to US. More on the flesh-eating parasite

The latest USDA data showed New World screwworm was detected about 25 miles from the border. A Texas official said it may be as close as a mile away.
Reuters Reuters
Explainer-How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices

Explainer-How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices

By Heather Schlitz CHICAGO, June 4 (Reuters) - New World screwworm, a devastating parasite that eats cattle and other wild animals alive, traveled north from Central America to Mexico before being confirmed in a Texas calf on Wednesday, creeping past biological barriers that kept the pest contained