LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A case of the New World screwworm may have been detected in south Texas, according to a statement released by the USDA.
The agency said it has activated personnel on the ground and is working with local partners to prevent any potential spread.
The agency has not said where exactly the parasite was found but said it was captured and has been transported to its National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa.
Reuters is reporting the samples were taken from two calves on a ranch in La Pryor, Texas, about 50 miles from the Mexican border.
The news comes a day after USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins disputed a claim from south Texas Representative Don McLaughlin, who reported a case one mile away from the border.
She claimed it was “false information” and the fly was still 25 miles away from the border.
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