Agriculture Department Says No Further Flesh-Eating Screwworm Cases Detected

Officials imposed quarantines and movement controls in South Texas after larvae were found in a calf, though USDA says it expects to contain the case.

Cattle ranchers Darryl Joost and Paul Janda examine documents covering economics and the threat of the New World Screwworm parasite during the Fayette County Cow/Calf Clinic and Trade Show in La Grange, Texas, on May 1, 2026. Joel Angel Juarez/Reuters

The Department of Agriculture said no further screwworm infestations have been detected after the first confirmed case of the flesh-eating parasite on a U.S. farm in decades.

New World screwworm is a pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and, less commonly, people and birds. The screwworm maggots burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing serious damage to livestock and economic losses.