US Cattle Industry Faces Threat as Screwworm Parasite Detected in Texas

Texas is grappling with the detection of a second case of the New World screwworm, a feared parasitic fly larva, raising alarms for the American cattle industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the new case on June 5, 2026, involving a one-month-old calf located about nine kilometers from the site of the first infection identified earlier that week. These are the first cases found in U.S. livestock in decades. Federal and state authorities have responded by intensifying containment efforts. A 20-kilometer restriction zone has been established around the infected locations, halting animal movement and enforcing sanitary measures to prevent further spread. The New World screwworm larva, hatched from eggs laid by parasitic flies in warm-blooded animals' wounds, feeds on living tissue and can be fatal if untreated. The discovery deals a blow to U.S. ranchers already concerned about the parasite's northward migration from Mexico. They fear a wider infestation could exacerbate the decline in U.S. cattle numbers, which are at a 75-year low. The economic stakes are substantial, with potential impacts on consumer confidence in beef and estimated losses of $1.8 billion for the Texas livestock industry alone.