Tracking the deadly parasite threatening Texas livestock and wildlife -- the latest spread data, prevention efforts, and government response.
The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed on June 3, 2026 the detection of a New World screwworm (NWS) in a bovine in Zavala County, Texas — the first detection of the pest in the United States in decades.
The U.
State Representative Don McLaughlin (R-Uvalde) issued an urgent call to action following reports that the New World Screwworm (NWS) has been detected one mile from the Texas border.
Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 44 Texas counties to prevent the spread of the New World screwworm fly.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has called for increased animal surveillance after new cases of New World screwworm were confirmed in Tamaulipas, a Mexican border state.