The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed two additional cases of New World screwworm in Texas on Monday, June 8, as federal officials work to contain the first outbreak of the flesh-burrowing parasite in the United States in six decades.
The new cases were detected in La Salle County and Andrews County, Texas, the USDA said. The confirmation follows a second case discovered Friday in Zavala County, about 5.6 miles from the initial detection in La Pryor, Texas. The first case — a calf infected with the parasite — was reported last week, marking the first U.S. detection since the screwworm was eradicated in the 1960s.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in an interview on CNBC that the federal government has officials in Texas assisting with containment efforts.
“This is not a virus, it’s not a disease, it’s just a little pest, a larva that lands in a calf’s wound, for example, and it can be treated,” Rollins said.
Rollins added that the United States is investing more than $1 billion to stop the spread of the screwworm.
The New World screwworm, scientifically known as Cochliomyia hominivorax, is a fly that burrows into open areas of warm-blooded mammals — including eyes, ears, genitals, or open wounds — and lays eggs. The eggs hatch into maggots that feed on the host’s flesh. The parasite poses a particular risk to livestock, and U.S. cattle numbers are currently at their lowest count in 75 years, according to the USDA.
The USDA said the nation’s food supply is not at risk from the outbreak.