Screwworm Resurfaces in Texas, Threatening Cattle Industry 60 Years After U.S. Eradication

3 articles · Updated · NPR · Jun 9

More screwworm cases have been detected in South Texas, reviving a livestock parasite the U.S. had eliminated in the 1960s.
The threat comes from fly larvae that infest animals, raising the risk of damage to cattle herds and broader livestock production.
A livestock inspection checkpoint in South Texas has become part of the response as officials monitor animals and try to contain the spread.
The resurgence underscores how a parasite absent for roughly 60 years can quickly become a major concern for the Texas cattle industry.

Sources

While livestock are quarantined, could wild deer be silently spreading the flesh-eating parasite across the southern United States?

With sterile fly production falling short, is the U.S. losing the race against this flesh-eating parasite's spread across Texas?

Did past U.S. budget cuts for parasite monitoring abroad open the door for this costly outbreak on American soil?