USDA said the New Mexico case had been reported earlier as a fifth Texas infection because the veterinarian was based in Andrews County, Texas, though the dog lives across the border.
Greg Abbott raised Texas's emergency response level Monday, deploying more resources as the flesh-eating parasite spreads and threatens livestock, pets, wildlife and, in rare cases, people.
The outbreak is pressing on a $100 billion U.S. beef industry already hit by a yearlong northward spread that shut the U.S.-Mexico border to live cattle imports and helped drive the herd to a 75-year low.
With cattle herds at a 75-year low, will this parasite outbreak cause an irreversible crisis for America's beef supply?
What was the rationale behind defunding a key biosecurity program just before this flesh-eating parasite's return?
Can millions of lab-grown sterile flies stop a parasite that decades of work had successfully eradicated?
Texas Faces $1.8 Billion Threat: 2026 Screwworm Outbreak Escalates, Imperiling Cattle Industry and Food Supply
Overview
As of June 8, 2026, Texas faces a rapidly escalating outbreak of New World screwworm, with four confirmed cases across at least three counties and infections found in both livestock and pets. The outbreak has spread over 300 miles from the original detection zone, making containment more challenging. In response, federal and state agencies have formed a unified Incident Command Team to coordinate immediate actions. These efforts include strict quarantines, movement controls, and the release of sterile flies to stop the pest’s reproduction, aiming to control the outbreak’s growing scope and protect animal and public health.