{"id":322296,"date":"2026-06-04T09:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/322296\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T09:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:52:14","slug":"texas-am-agrilife-responds-after-new-world-screwworm-found-in-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/322296\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas A&M AgriLife responds after New World screwworm found in Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following the June 3 announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a> Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, APHIS<\/a>, confirming the presence of New World screwworm<\/a>, NWS, in Texas, experts across Texas A&M AgriLife<\/a> are supporting state and federal agencies in their response and providing educational programming and resources to help protect livestock producers, wildlife managers, veterinarians, public health professionals and Texas families.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStay informed and prepared for New World screwworm <\/p>\n

Explore fact sheets, reporting protocols and prevention tips from Texas A&M AgriLife experts. <\/p>\n

The USDA-APHIS confirmed the detection<\/a> of a New World screwworm in a 3-week-old calf in Zavala County on June 3.<\/p>\n

Although the parasite presents serious risks to livestock, wildlife, companion animals and, in rare instances, humans, experts emphasize that Texas is not in crisis mode but rather is entering a period of heightened awareness and coordinated response.<\/p>\n

Texas A&M AgriLife is here for Texas<\/p>\n

Texas A&M AgriLife Research<\/a> and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service<\/a> have prepared educational materials, training, fact sheets, guidance documents and surveillance support to help Texans detect potential infestations early and reduce the pest\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n

Experts from across Texas A&M AgriLife\u2019s agencies and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences<\/a>, including specialists in the Department of Entomology<\/a>, Department of Animal Science<\/a>, Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management<\/a>, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory<\/a>, AgriLife Extension Agricultural and Environmental Safety Unit<\/a>, and the AgriLife Extension Disaster Assessment and Recovery unit<\/a>. The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences<\/a> will also play a vital role in this effort.<\/p>\n

These experts will continue to support USDA-APHIS, the Texas Animal Health Commission<\/a>, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department<\/a> as federal and state agencies respond and manage the emergency.<\/p>\n

\"New<\/a><\/p>\n

\"New<\/a>
\nTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts stress that science-based knowledge and awareness among Texans about New World screwworm will help limit the invasive pest\u2019s impact as state and federal agencies mobilize against it. (Michael Miller\/Texas A&M AgriLife)<\/p>\n

Preparing for the New World screwworm<\/p>\n

The New World screwworm is an invasive tropical fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm\u2011blooded animals, including livestock, cattle, wildlife, pets, and in rare cases, humans and birds.<\/p>\n

The fly lays eggs in open wounds, and untreated infestations can cause significant injury or death within a matter of days.<\/p>\n

In preparation of the pest entering the United States, Texas A&M AgriLife experts have created and updated fact sheets and public guidance resources to help Texans understand the parasite and reduce risks.<\/p>\n

These include resources on livestock care, wildlife monitoring, human health considerations and companion\u2011animal protection. These digital and print educational materials, including Spanish language resources, are available now through Texas A&M AgriLife\u2019s New World screwworm information hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"stocker<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

\"white<\/a>
\nTexas A&M AgriLife resources provide science-backed guidance on managing livestock and wildlife as well as protecting pets and human health. (Michael Miller, Courtney Sacco\/Texas A&M AgriLife)<\/p>\n

Resources and guidance available from Texas A&M AgriLife<\/p>\n

Livestock and Cattle Producers: AgriLife Extension materials<\/a> provide identification tips, wound\u2011management practices and reporting protocols for suspected cases in cattle and other livestock.<\/p>\n

Wildlife Managers: A wildlife\u2011focused New World screwworm fact sheet<\/a> outlines monitoring strategies, field reporting methods and challenges unique to free\u2011ranging wildlife.<\/p>\n

Human Health Professionals and Families: AgriLife Extension\u2019s human\u2011health fact sheet<\/a> explains rare but possible human myiasis cases and provides prevention practices for families and outdoor workers.<\/p>\n

Companion Animal Owners: Guidance for veterinarians and pet owners<\/a> details how to identify early signs in dogs and cats and when to seek veterinary care.<\/p>\n

All Texans should familiarize themselves with the available materials and report suspected cases immediately to their local veterinarian or the Texas Animal Health Commission. The most effective way to control New World screwworm is early reporting so that authorities can suppress the pest before the population gets large. For other questions, contact your county\u2019s AgriLife Extension agent<\/a>.<\/p>\n


\n \"Print
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Share or print this post: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Following the June 3 announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, APHIS,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":322297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[848,20519,27050,38121,115376,43024,27,29,28,6431],"class_list":["post-322296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-agricultural-economics","tag-beef-cattle","tag-bugs-and-insects","tag-invasive-species","tag-ipm","tag-pesticides-and-pest-control","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-unit-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}