First U.S. Screwworm Case Since 1960s Prompts Texas Emergency Response

Article excerpt

A screwworm infestation discovered in a South Texas calf marks the first confirmed U.S. case since the 1960s, triggering an emergency response from state and federal officials determined to contain the parasitic threat before it spreads through the nation's largest cattle-producing state. The discovery has set off alarm bells in Texas ranching country, where the fly larva can devastate livestock by burrowing into living tissue. Authorities are mobilizing to prevent an outbreak that could cripple the state's cattle industry, which generates billions in annual revenue. The case underscores how a single infected animal can upend biosecurity protocols refined over decades of freedom from the pest.