STORY: :: The USDA confirms three additional cases of screwworm in the U.S., two of which are in Texas

:: Kerrville, Texas / June 8, 2026

:: Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture

"Yesterday, USDA confirmed two additional cases one in Texas in a calf in La Salle County, and another in Lea County, New Mexico, in a dog that we are hearing has been moved up from Mexico. And today, just a couple of hours ago, we had an additional confirmation in a goat in Gillespie County, Texas. These developments obviously represent a serious threat to our livestock and wildlife, but they haven't caught us off guard. We have been tracking this pest for a long time, and we have fought before, and we will do so again. // We don't have a timeline. Obviously, we're just at the beginning of this now new phase of the battle with it on our side of the border. But we will be watching very, very closely. It is an important point that while it is here in Texas, it's still about 800 miles away from the port in Arizona. Understanding the significant economic harm and challenge closing the ports have been to some of our feeders and feedlots in this, in this side of the border. So, it is not lost on me. We will continue to watch the data very, very, very closely."

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said the two Texas cases affected a calf in La Salle County and a goat in Gillespie County.

APHIS clarified that a fifth case reported earlier on Monday in a dog in Andrews County would be reclassified as the first case detected in New Mexico. The veterinarian who reported the case is located in Texas, the agency said, but the dog resides at a household in Lea County, New Mexico, which borders Texas.

New World screwworm is a serious pest that can infest any warm-blooded animal, including livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, people. The larvae burrow into the living tissue of animals, causing severe wounds, animal suffering and significant economic losses.