Second flesh-eating screwworm infection reported in cattle in Texas

Article excerpt

A second flesh-eating screwworm infection has been confirmed in Texas cattle, prompting Governor Greg Abbott to declare a disaster and mobilize state and federal agencies. The parasitic fly, which burrows into living tissue and can be fatal, emerged just days after an initial case in a one-year-old calf sparked an emergency response. Officials are deploying sterile flies as part of a containment strategy to prevent the infestation from spreading through Texas's vast cattle herds, treating the outbreak as a major agricultural threat requiring coordinated intervention.