Flesh-Eating Screwworm Confirmed in South Texas; USDA Deploys Strike Team

Executive Briefing

• Confirms six New World Screwworm cases in South Texas as of June 11, starting with a three-week-old calf in Zavala County.
• USDA suspended live cattle, horse, and bison imports from Mexico on May 11 to slow the pest's northward spread.
• Deploys sterile male flies and establishes movement control zones as part of a rapid federal containment response.
• Texas Agriculture Commissioner criticizes USDA for moving too slowly and failing to deploy all available eradication tools.
• Threatens to push already record-high beef prices higher, while also endangering wildlife, pets, and occasionally humans.