US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed the first screwworm infestation on a US farm in decades. The parasite was found on a calf in La Pryor, Texas. No other cases have been detected.
Federal and state officials quickly halted animal movement in a 20-km area around the case. Checkpoints are now set up along major roads to inspect livestock for signs of screwworms.
Rollins assured reporters that with everyone’s cooperation, the infestation will not spread. The USDA believes it can contain this case, the first in Texas since 1966.
Screwworms are parasitic flies whose larvae burrow into living flesh, causing severe damage or death if untreated. They pose no food safety threat but could shrink the US cattle herd and hurt consumer demand for beef.
The infestation has caused feeder cattle futures to drop initially on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. However, they rallied more than 3% afterward. Experts warn that widespread screwworm spread could cost Texas’ livestock industry up to $1.8 billion in economic losses.
USDA is spending millions to keep out the pest and has blocked Mexican livestock imports for over a year. The agency also plans to release sterile flies near and above the affected area to prevent further spread.