Texas declares disaster as New World screwworm returns, threatening cattle industry

A New World screwworm parasite was confirmed in a three‑week‑old calf near the U.S.–Mexico border in La Pryor, Texas, marking the first detection in the United States since 1966. Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for all 254 counties, citing an imminent threat to the state's livestock sector and the broader U.S. cattle industry.

State Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned that an outbreak could cost the livestock industry billions of dollars and push beef prices even higher. Officials linked the parasite’s re‑emergence to the 2025 termination of a USDA/USAID monitoring program after funding cuts by the Trump administration and a department led by Elon Musk, which had previously helped contain the pest along the border.

The USDA estimates a potential $1.8 billion loss to the Texas economy and $732 million per year in farm damages if the screwworm spreads as it did in the 1970s. The parasite poses little direct risk to human health but could have major economic and food‑supply implications.