{"id":228649,"date":"2026-10-25T05:55:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T05:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/screwworm-cases-reach-61-including-first-wildlife-detection-in-texas-houston-public-media\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T05:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T05:55:08","slug":"screwworm-cases-reach-61-including-first-wildlife-detection-in-texas-houston-public-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/screwworm-cases-reach-61-including-first-wildlife-detection-in-texas-houston-public-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Screwworm cases reach 61, including first wildlife detection in Texas &#8211; Houston Public Media"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The latest case was confirmed Thursday in New Mexico, bringing the U.S. total to 61. Officials also confirmed the first wildlife infestation of the outbreak in an elk in West Texas.<br \/><em>Last updated: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026<\/em><br \/>New World screwworm cases in the United States have reached 61 since June, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.<br \/>The latest case was confirmed Thursday in cattle in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, following another detection in cattle in neighboring Otero County on Wednesday.<br \/>The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also announced Wednesday that a female elk harvested by a hunter in Pecos County was the first confirmed wildlife case of the current outbreak. The infestation was confirmed at a federal laboratory in Kerrville.<br \/>Two earlier cases involving a horse and a calf were confirmed in Grant County, New Mexico, on Oct. 15.<br \/>Officials have also recorded one wild screwworm fly detection in a surveillance trap in Brewster County, Texas, on Sept. 25. Fly-trap detections are tracked separately and are not included in the 61 animal cases.<br \/>According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Texas Animal Health Commission will modify an existing infested zone in Pecos County, while federal and state wildlife officials conduct additional surveillance in the area.<br \/>Texas officials are urging hunters and landowners to inspect animals for signs of infestation, including wounds containing maggots, unusual irritation and the smell of decaying flesh.<br \/>Animal movement restrictions remain in effect in portions of 12 Texas counties, including Brewster, Crockett and Pecos. Animals cannot leave designated infested zones without prior authorization from the Texas Animal Health Commission.<br \/>Federal and state officials are also releasing sterile flies to disrupt screwworm reproduction and limit the parasite&#8217;s spread.<br \/><iframe title=\"tpr-usda-screwworm-dashboard.vercel.app embed\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; border-radius: 7px;\" src=\"https:\/\/tpr-usda-screwworm-dashboard.vercel.app\/\" name=\"myiFrame\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600px\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>Despite its name, the New World screwworm isn&#8217;t a worm. It is the larval stage of the fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), a parasite that feeds on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals.<br \/>Infestations begin when an adult female screwworm fly lays eggs in an open wound or natural body opening. Within hours, the eggs hatch and the larvae begin feeding on living tissue, unlike common maggots, which feed on dead or decaying tissue.<br \/>As the larvae burrow deeper into tissue, wounds become larger and often infected. Without treatment, infestations can be fatal.<br \/>The screwworm primarily threatens livestock and wildlife, making it a major concern for Texas ranchers and animal health officials.<br \/>Animals at risk include:<br \/>Human infestations are rare. Most occur when untreated wounds are exposed in areas where the fly is circulating. The current outbreak primarily affects livestock, wildlife and pets.<br \/>According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, New World screwworm is not considered a food safety threat. The parasite feeds on living tissue in open wounds \u2014 not meat intended for consumers \u2014 and animal health and inspection systems are designed to keep infested animals out of the food supply.<br \/>Early detection is critical. Animals infected with screwworm may show:<br \/>Veterinarians recommend inspecting animals regularly after injuries, surgical procedures, branding or any condition that creates an open wound.<br \/>Texas has one of the largest livestock industries in the United States, along with extensive ranchland and abundant wildlife populations, particularly white-tailed deer. That combination makes the state especially vulnerable if screwworm becomes reestablished.<br \/>A widespread outbreak could lead to:<br \/>The Texas Animal Health Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have expanded surveillance, increased monitoring of animal movement and encouraged rapid reporting of suspected infestations.<br \/>The United States eliminated screwworm using one of the most successful pest control programs in history: the sterile insect technique.<br \/>Scientists bred and released millions of sterile male flies. Because female screwworm flies typically mate only once, breeding with a sterile male produces no offspring, gradually collapsing the wild population.<br \/>That strategy eradicated screwworm from the United States and much of North America. However, the parasite remains present in parts of Central and South America, meaning the risk of reintroduction never fully disappears.<br \/>For most Texans, there is no reason to change their daily activities. The greatest risk remains to livestock, pets and wildlife.<br \/>Animal owners should:<br \/>Hunters should also inspect harvested game for unusual wounds or signs of infestation and report suspected cases to wildlife officials.<br \/>If you suspect an infestation, contact your veterinarian immediately before transporting the animal.<br \/>For the latest information and guidance, visit:<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpr.org\/environment\/2026-09-19\/how-livestock-smuggling-could-help-spread-new-world-screwworms\">The illegal movement of animals \u2014 particularly horses \u2014 could thwart the U.S. Department of Agriculture&#8217;s effort to stop the spread of the parasite.<\/a><br \/><a>Texas A&amp;M AgriLife livestock entomologist Sonja Swiger discusses the risks New World screwworm poses to pets, people and livestock, addresses concerns about the food supply and explains why reporting infestations is critical.<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpr.org\/economy-and-labor\/2026-06-25\/screwworm-spread-across-texas-threatens-livestock-and-millions-of-wild-deer\">Wildlife experts warn that deer may be especially vulnerable because there is no proven way to treat them in the wild.<\/a><br \/><a>The New World screwworm has crossed into Texas from Mexico, threatening livestock, wildlife and pets. Human infections are rare, but officials warn the parasite&#8217;s spread poses a growing challenge for communities across South Texas.<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpr.org\/public-health\/2026-06-10\/named-for-the-scientists-who-helped-eradicate-screwworm-a-new-kerrville-lab-builds-on-decades-of-research\">As the U.S. confronts the return of New World screwworm, researchers at the newly opened Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville are building on the work that helped eradicate the pest decades ago.<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpr.org\/public-health\/2026-08-14\/fda-fast-tracks-treatment-for-new-world-screwworm-in-dogs-and-puppies\">The Texas agriculture commissioner supports the move by the federal agency.<\/a><br \/>Have you seen a suspicious wound on livestock, wildlife or a pet? Do you have a question about New World screwworm?<br \/>Email the TPR newsroom at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:letters@tpr.org\" rel=\"noopener\">letters@tpr.org<\/a>. Your questions, observations and experiences may help guide future reporting.<br \/><a href=\"\/articles\/news\/politics\/election-2026\/2026\/08\/14\/559390\/election-2026-make-your-voice-heard\/\">Take our survey<\/a> and make your voice heard<br \/><a href=\"\/articles\/author\/tpr-staff\">More Articles by This Author<\/a><br \/>&nbsp;<br \/>Houston Public Media is supported with your gifts to the Houston Public Media Foundation and is licensed to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uh.edu\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">University of Houston<\/a><br \/>&copy; 2026 Houston Public Media<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.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?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The latest case was confirmed Thursday in New Mexico, bringing the U.S. total to 61. Officials also confirmed the first wildlife infestation of the outbreak in an elk in West Texas.Last updated: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026New World screwworm cases in the United States have reached 61 since June, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":228650,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-228649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}