Texas has confirmed two more cases of the New World screwworm, a fly larva that feeds on living flesh, in a calf and a dog in La Salle and Andrews counties, respectively.

Background

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the new cases, which bring the total number of confirmed cases in Texas to four. The initial cases were discovered last week in two calves in South Texas.

Scientists expect a handful of new cases could pop up in the coming days and weeks, but it doesn’t mean the screwworm is spreading rapidly, according to Edward Burgess, a University of Florida entomologist who studies the fly.

The USDA and the U.S. cattle industry have been racing to prevent an infestation since the screwworm was detected in Mexico late in 2024. The parasite attacks live cattle but does not infest meat or fruit, and there are a dozen government-approved medications to treat livestock.

Response

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller criticized the federal response, saying it will take too long and risk crippling the cattle industry. Instead, he suggests a poison bait could eliminate the screwworm problem in a few months, although the USDA and other experts say the bait hasn’t been proven to work and could poison other insects, animals, and even humans.

The USDA is working to increase sterile fly production in plants outside the U.S. and build a massive fly factory in Texas. The long-term solution — breeding sterile male flies — is months away, but it could eventually halt outbreaks as the flies die out.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.