USDA Says 2nd Screwworm Case Detected in Texas

In this Epoch Times article, the USDA confirms a second New World screwworm detection in Texas, heightening concern that the flesh-eating parasite may be gaining a foothold near the border after decades of eradication in the United States. The USDA previously confirmed a New World screwworm detection in a bovine in Zavala County, Texas, on June 3, 2026.

• The second confirmed case was also reported in Zavala County, not far from the first detection, intensifying concerns among ranchers and animal-health officials.
• The newly detected case reportedly involved a young calf, while other suspected samples from the area have so far tested negative.
• New World screwworm larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, making the parasite especially dangerous to cattle, pets, wildlife, and occasionally humans.
• The discovery is particularly alarming because the pest had been eradicated from the United States for decades before its recent northward movement through Central America and Mexico.
• Texas officials and federal agencies are responding with quarantines, surveillance, animal movement restrictions, and sterile-fly containment strategies.
• The cattle industry is watching closely because even a limited outbreak could create serious economic damage, especially with beef supplies already tight and prices elevated.
• The USDA and state animal-health officials are urging livestock owners to inspect animals carefully, report suspicious wounds or maggots, and avoid moving potentially exposed animals without proper inspection.
• The broader issue now is whether these detections remain isolated or signal a wider breach of the long-standing screwworm containment barrier.

Read the full story:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/usda-says-2nd-screwworm-case-detected-in-texas-6044170