Screwworm Cases Expand to Second State as USDA Declares ‘War’ on ‘Little Pest’

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a “War on Screwworm,” as two states report the return of the once-eradicated fly maggot following last year’s funding cuts to a Central American monitoring program. The New World screwworm poses a serious threat to livestock, pets, wildlife, and in rare cases, people. The larvae feed on living tissue and can cause severe wounds, animal suffering, and significant economic harm, according to the Department of Agriculture.Officials have identified four cases in Texas — three in cattle and one in a goat — and another case in New Mexico involving a dog. The case involving the dog appears to be isolated, but because its recent travel and exposure history remain unknown, investigators are trying to trace the dog’s movements and inspect other animals in the home. “This situation is evolving, and we expect new information to emerge as our investigation continues,” a Department of Agriculture undersecretary, Dudley Hoskins, said in a release. “USDA is committed to sharing what we learn quickly, accurately, and transparently so animal owners and local communities have the information they need to stay vigilant.”Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says her department has been “in full combat mode” against what she called the “little pest” first reported in America last week. Several cases had previously been reported south of the border. Female flies mate just once and so sterile males are being introduced in an effort to eliminate the threat of a widespread outbreak. Ms. Rollins says millions of sterile flies have been released in a roughly 12-mile zone in Texas and an additional 90 million males were released across a broader response area. A new Texas production facility to breed more sterile flies is being fast-tracked, Ms. Rollins said.The screwworm once existed as far north as Missouri, with populations surviving the winters in southern Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona. It was eradicated in the country in the 1960s and decades later in Mexico before a new infestation was detected there in 2024.The Trump administration cut funding last year to a U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization program to monitor and contain the screwworm in Central America. It was among 5,300 grants and programs killed by the Department of Government Efficiency, according to the farming news outlet AgriPulse reported. Despite that funding cut, Ms. Rollins insists that the administration had proactive preparations and a rapid response to the cases. “American agriculture will not be disrupted,” Ms. Rollins wrote in an X post. “We will eradicate this threat.”Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has criticized the federal response to the screwworm re-emergence as “slow, bureaucratic, and incomplete.” He says the federal agency has allowed the pest to advance unchecked through Mexico and reach American soil.“For months, the screwworm has advanced rapidly through Mexico in spite of the USDA’s existing gameplan,” Mr. Miller said in a release. “Even though billions of sterile flies have been dispersed by USDA, the screwworm has still advanced over 1100 miles from southern Mexico to Texas, and USDA has missed an important component.”Mr. Miller said he wants President Trump to direct the Agriculture Department to deploy a screwworm suppression system that includes the use of insecticides to reduce adult screwworm populations.Governor Greg Abbott expanded a statewide disaster declaration on Monday and activated the Texas State Emergency Operations Center. “The protection of our ranchers, livestock producers, deer breeders, and the Texas economy from this pest is a top priority,” he said in a release.The USDA says it maintains intensive surveillance along the Mexican border to detect screwworms and ensure rapid response in the United States. This includes more than 100 traps specifically designed to capture the parasite, and approximately 7,500 insect traps across Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California.Beef prices are at record highs due to an ongoing drought and a record low number of cattle in the country. The screwworm cases have not added more pricing pressure yet, but that could change if the outbreak intensifies. The Department of Agriculture says culling will not be used to manage herds with infested cattle. Instead, ranches with suspected cases will be quarantined until the cattle are treated and all wounds heal.Canada has temporarily stopped importing Texas cattle because of the screwworm cases, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the country’s colder climate is not hospitable for the long-term establishment of the fly in Canada.

Screwworm Cases Expand to Second State as USDA Declares ‘War’ on ‘Little Pest’

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