Flesh-eating New World screwworm detected in Texas calf, USDA says, signaling major threat to food production

A case of flesh-eating New World screwworm has been detected in South Texas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday. It is the first time this parasitic fly – whose larvae feed exclusively on the tissue of warm-blooded animals – has been detected in U.S. livestock in decades.

Although it is not a food safety issue, an infestation can be a food production issue. It could cost the economy billions and raise the price of beef a time when Americans are already paying record high prices.

The USDA says its National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, tested a sample from the case in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas, and confirmed Wednesday that it was New World screwworm. The agency has activated personnel on the ground in Texas to contain and eradicate the parasite, including a 20-kilometer infested zone and implementation of quarantines, movement controls and surveillance in the area. It’s also expediting targeted release of sterile flies, which are used to overwhelm fertile flies in the area to limit spread.

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