Screwworm Cases Jump: Farmers, Ranchers, And Pet Owners Are On Edge

A total of 12 screwworm cases have been confirmed across two states as of June 15.

The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that feeds on the tissue or flesh of warm-blooded animals in its larval stage, continues to spread in the United States. Ranchers have become increasingly concerned as the deadly pest has now been found in both Texas and New Mexico.

There are 11 confirmed cases in Texas involving cattle and other livestock, and one case involving a pet dog in New Mexico. As the possibility of the screwworm spreading north grows, ranchers say they are unsettled, particularly in the Dallas area.

In efforts to inhibit the spread, quarantine zones have been expanded and livestock are prohibited from leaving the infected areas without authorization. So far, 15 counties across West, South, and Central Texas have been placed under quarantine by the Texas Animal Health Commission in the hopes of hindering animal traffic.  

During Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ visit to Texas on Thursday, she hosted a roundtable with ranchers. Afterward, she helped distribute sterile male flies, which were released in order to mate with females. This technique has proved effective in hindering the screwworm population, since the females can only mate once. 

Health officials from New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, California, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are on guard against the screwworm, urging farmers to report cases early in preparation for the possibility of the screwworm advancing north. 

Further cases could also make grocery shopping more expensive. Beef’s already high price could climb higher if the outbreak impacts a broader swath of the U.S. cattle population. 

As the Daily Wire previously reported, the first U.S. case of the screwworm since the 1960s was confirmed on June 4 in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas. The case came after a growing outbreak in Mexico that prompted federal officials to warn that the pest could eventually cross into the United States.