Texas: A flesh-eating parasite known as the screwworm has been detected in Texas, marking the first time since 1966 that the pest has been found in US livestock. The US Agriculture Department announced that it had confirmed the detection of a New World screwworm (NWS) in a bovine in Zavala County, Texas. The pest was previously declared eradicated in the United States decades ago.

According to Anadolu Agency, the NWS is a pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and less commonly, people and birds. The larvae of the NWS, or maggots, burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing damage to livestock and economic losses. The department noted that in the affected animal, a 3-week-old calf, larvae were identified in its umbilical area. To date, there have been no further detections of the pest.

The US Agriculture Department has deployed teams in Texas, the second-largest state in the US, to control and eliminate the parasite. Measures include establishing a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) affected zone, quarantines, movement restrictions, and enhanced monitoring efforts. Additionally, the department is accelerating the strategic release of sterile flies to suppress the local fertile fly population and reduce the spread of the parasite.

The department stated it will continue collaborating with state departments of agriculture, animal health officials, industry, and producers to mitigate the economic impacts of restrictions. This includes negotiating with trading partners to regionalize any trade restrictions on live animals, limiting them to defined geographic areas. The risk of the parasite spreading to humans and pets is considered low, and the situation does not pose a threat to food safety.