Texas Officials Warn of Uncontained Flesh-eating Parasite Threatening Beef Supply

WHO:

Alternet - Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that the New World screwworm infection was found in Texas.

Fortune - Texas agricultural commissioner Sid Miller criticized the USDA's response to the screwworm outbreak.

Fortune - Joe Maxwell, president of Farm Action Fund, expressed concerns about the financial stress on cattle producers.

WHAT:

Alternet - The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, was discovered in a calf in Texas and has been found outside the Texas containment zone.

Fortune - The USDA reported the first case of the screwworm in New Mexico.

Fortune - The USDA has put millions toward producing sterile male screwworm flies to control the pest population.

Fortune - Texas A&M estimates that if the screwworm reestablishes itself, it could lead to $2.1 billion in losses for the cattle industry and $9 billion for the hunting and wildlife industry in Texas.

WHERE:

Alternet - The initial case of the screwworm was reported in South Texas, with another case found in Gillespie County, over 100 miles away.

Alternet - A dog was found infested in Lea County, New Mexico, more than 400 miles from the initial case.

Fortune - Texas accounts for about 14% of U.S. cattle production.

WHEN:

Alternet - The screwworm was first eradicated in the U.S. in 1966.

Fortune - The USDA has set a deadline for the completion of a $600 million facility for breeding sterile screwworm flies by late next year.

Fortune - A ban on bison, horse, and cattle imports from Mexico was lifted by Trump in February 2025.

WHY:

Alternet - Rollins attributed the outbreak to the "open border policy" under the Biden administration and the movement of animals from South America.

Fortune - Miller criticized the USDA for moving too slowly and relying on a "partial solution" to the screwworm problem.

HOW:

Alternet - The USDA established a 12-mile quarantine area around the affected area when the case was detected.

Fortune - The USDA's sterile insect technique involves releasing sterile male flies to mate with wild females, which helps control the population growth of the screwworm.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 14:14 UTC)

The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, has been discovered in Texas, prompting Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to highlight the outbreak's link to the "open border policy" under the Biden administration. Texas agricultural commissioner Sid Miller has criticized the USDA's response, expressing concerns over the financial strain on cattle producers, especially as estimates suggest that reestablishment of the screwworm could lead to $2.1 billion in losses for the cattle industry alone. The USDA is working to control the pest population by breeding sterile male screwworm flies, with a $600 million facility set to be completed by late next year.