{"id":325297,"date":"2026-06-06T06:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T06:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/325297\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T06:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T06:58:11","slug":"usda-confirms-second-screwworm-fly-found-in-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/325297\/","title":{"rendered":"USDA confirms second screwworm fly found in Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

A\u00a0New World screwworm was detected in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County after testing a “number of suspected cases,” according to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service<\/a> (APHIS). It was found less than six miles away from the ranch where the pest was reported in another young<\/a> calf earlier this week. \u00a0<\/p>\n

“USDA has responded expediently with respect to this second detection, demonstrating our utmost preparedness,” Dudley Hoskins, the department’s under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said in a statement. “This second detection is within the established movement control zone and enhanced sterile insect dispersal area.”<\/p>\n

It is the second confirmed case<\/a> in Texas since 1966, and officials said other samples from the surrounding area have come back negative.<\/p>\n

The New World screwworm<\/a> is a species of parasitic fly that feeds on the living tissue or flesh of warm-blooded animals, including humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its larvae hatch into maggots that burrow into the live tissue, causing painful, often foul-smelling wounds. \u00a0<\/p>\n

It is typically found in South America and parts of the Caribbean; however, APHIS notes that it has been steadily creeping north<\/a> into Central America and Mexico since 2023.<\/p>\n

“Many models projected this pest would reach the United States last year, but thanks to USDA’s phenomenal work and our cooperation with state, federal, and industry partners,\u00a0we’ve\u00a0held it off until now\u2014when we are far more prepared to respond,” Hoskins said.<\/p>\n

All southern ports of entry into the U.S. were closed to livestock trade<\/a> last July following an order from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.<\/p>\n

USDA reported<\/a> on Friday that mobile response trailers had been deployed in the infestation area and “sterile fly releases,” including 2 million in the air and 4 million on the ground per week, were underway.<\/p>\n

“Movement control zones are in place, surveillance is intensified, and treatment supplies are available through [the Texas Animal Health Commission],” the department wrote<\/a> on the social platform X. “We have defeated this pest before, and we will do it again.”<\/p>\n

If unchecked, a New World Screwworm outbreak could have devastating economic consequences for Texas, the top cattle-producing state<\/a> in the country.<\/p>\n

A sizeable outbreak could result in $1.8 billion in losses for the Lone Star State Economy and cost producers upwards of $732 million per year, APHIS projected<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n

“Texas livestock producers and all Texans must now be vigilant in their efforts to manage and combat the invasive pest,” Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A\u00a0New World screwworm was detected in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County after testing a “number of suspected…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":325298,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[116309,116308,116310,5877,27,60364,29,28,5699,75216],"class_list":["post-325297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-animal-and-plant-health-inspection-service","tag-aphis","tag-dudley-hoskins","tag-new-world-screwworm","tag-texas","tag-texas-animal-health-commission","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-u-s-department-of-agriculture","tag-zavala-county"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325297","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=325297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325297\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/325298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}