USDA Confirms Flesh-Eating Screwworm Found in Texas Calf Near Mexico Border

Executive Briefing

• Confirms New World screwworm larvae detected in a 3-week-old calf's umbilical area in Zavala County, Texas
• Establishes 12-mile infested zone, border quarantines, and an Incident Command Team in response
• Reports over 26,000 screwworm cases in Mexico, with a recent detection just 25 miles from the U.S. border
• Warns the parasite can infest livestock and warm-blooded animals, including humans in rare cases
• Assures the U.S. has eradicated the pest before and is prepared to do so again