New World Screwworm Raises Concerns about Spread and Government’s Response
- Dave Price
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Newer generations of cattle ranchers may have never envisioned that they are now searching for whatever information they can about New World Screwworm, a highly infectious parasite that had largely been eradicated in the United States for more than 60 years. And it has triggered tension between local and state leaders in Texas and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
A calf near La Pryor in South Texas – about 50 miles from the border with Mexico – has ignited the nationwide alarm. The USDA confirmed on Wednesday that the calf had been infected with the screwworm.
New World screwworm enters United States
The infection usually begins with a parasitic fly that searches for open wounds on cattle, pets, wildlife, and humans. Larvae then have an abundant supply of flesh, which can cause severe wounds or death to the carrier.
There has been northern movement recently with the screwworm, which had been typically found in South America and parts of the Caribbean. But the screwworm has worked its way north into Central America and Mexico over the past few years, according to the CDC.
What is the USDA's response to screwworm?
The USDA claimed that its efforts last year delayed the arrival of the screwworm into the United States.
“All models showed New World Screwworm entering the country in 2025; however, thanks to the hard work across the entire Trump administration and our industry, state, and local partners, we were able to buy time for this moment. Protecting our livestock industry is a national security issue of the utmost importance, and USDA is wasting no time in taking action,” said Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, in a new release.
The release continued, “USDA invested heavily in the tools needed to eliminate NWS ever since cases started increasing in Central America and Mexico. The United States has defeated this pest before, and we will do it again.”
Republican complaints about USDA response to screwworm
However, some Republican leaders in Texas took issue with the administration. State Rep. Don McLaughlin posted his concerns on Twitter/X.
“This isn’t something we can afford to ignore or slow-roll in Washington. The New World Screwworm poses a serious and growing threat to South Texas — not just to cattle, but to wildlife, human health, and the very economy of our region.”
He added, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the federal response has not moved fast enough. Our producers are nervous, the science is clear, and the clock is ticking. We know what needs to be done — we just need the federal government to step up and do it. That’s why I recorded this message directly to President Trump. I’m not looking to pick a fight. I’m looking for action.”
McLaughlin had warned on Monday that the parasite has made it just one mile from the U.S. border, something that the USDA denied.
Two days later, the USDA confirmed the suspected case in the South Texas calf.
"For months, the screwworm has advanced rapidly through Mexico in spite of the USDA’s existing gameplan,” Texas Secretary of Agriculture Sid Miller said in a news release. “Even though billions of sterile flies have been dispersed by USDA, the screwworm has still advanced over 1100 miles from southern Mexico to Texas, and USDA has missed an important component. Now that it appears the first screwworm has arrived in Texas, the consequences of that decision are now staring us in the face."
Miller called on the USDA to take further action.
“Commissioner Miller is now urging President Trump to direct USDA to immediately deploy the Screwworm Adult Suppression System (SWASS), a proven technology developed by USDA scientists and successfully used during previous eradication campaigns. SWASS uses attractants, bait, and targeted, EPA-approved insecticides to dramatically reduce adult screwworm populations, allowing sterile fly releases to finish the job,” the release stated.
It added, “For more than a year, the Texas Department of Agriculture has and will continue to stand ready to fast-track approval of the use of SWASS in Texas.”
