Officials Confirm More New World Screwworm Cases, Share Control Updates

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed additional cases of New World screwworm (NWS) in Texas and New Mexico, bringing the total active case count to seven. 

NWS is a pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife and less commonly, people and birds. NWS larvae burrow into the flesh of living animals and has caused serious damage to livestock and economic losses.

A total of seven animal cases have been reported by USDA’s dashboard as of June 10:

• June 3: cattle in Zavala County, Texas
• June 5: cattle in Zavala County, Texas
• June 7: cattle in La Salle County, Texas
• June 8: cattle in La Salle County, Texas
• June 8: goat in Gillespie County, Texas
  
• June 8: dog in Lea County, New Mexico
• June 9: cattle in Edwards County, Texas

On Monday, June 8, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said that the U.S. food supply is “not at risk” as a result of New World screwworm being identified, CNBC reported. Secretary Rollins held a press conference on Monday in Texas where she addressed questions about the current cases of NWS and reaffirmed USDA’s commitment to controlling the pest.

Also on Monday, USDA announced the appointment of John Bellinger to senior advisor for New World Screwworm Preparedness. According to USDA, Bellinger will help support the agency’s team and drive efforts to combat NWS through available technologies. Currently, Bellinger serves on the Texas A&M Board of Regents as chair of the Committee on Research, which he was appointed to in 2023 by Gov. Greg Abbott.

For additional resources on active cases and how officials are combatting NWS, visit:

• USDA’s New World Screwworm Confirmed Detections dashboard
• USDA’s coordinated response and guidance for animal owners
• PCT’s report on behavior and biology of NWS