US cattle industry faces first screw‑worm fly case in Texas since 1966

The US Department of Agriculture confirmed the detection of the New World screw‑worm fly in a three‑week‑old calf near La Pryor, Texas, marking the first confirmed case in the state since 1966. A 20‑kilometre quarantine zone was established around the site, restricting the movement of warm‑blood animals unless inspected.

The parasite, whose larvae feed on living tissue, threatens the $113 billion US cattle sector, with experts estimating potential losses of up to $1.8 billion in Texas alone. Futures for feeder cattle fell on the Chicago Board of Trade and shares of major meat processors such as Tyson Foods and JBS dropped. In response, USDA officials are deploying millions of sterile male screw‑worm flies—a method that previously eradicated the pest in the 1970s—and have allocated $21 million to expand sterile‑fly production facilities in southern Mexico. Human risk is considered low, and the USDA emphasised that the parasite does not affect food safety.