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Is this a big risk?
Yes — a full outbreak would be a serious economic threat, but the risk of that happening is actively being fought down by a containment response built over the past year.
Why it matters: A widespread screwworm infestation could inflict $1.8 billion in damage to Texas alone, and the state holds the largest cattle herd in the country.
- Two confirmed cases in Zavala County, 5.6 miles apart, prompted Governor Abbott to issue a disaster proclamation — a signal the state treats this as more than a contained incident.
- The parasite spreads fast: one female lays up to 3,000 eggs in her lifespan and any wound as small as a tick bite is enough to attract her.
- The USDA's $8.5M sterile-fly facility at Moore Air Base can release 100 million sterile flies per week — the same tool that wiped the pest out in 1966 — and a second production plant broke ground in April 2026.
- Food supply is not at risk: screwworms attack living animals, not meat, so beef in stores is unaffected.
Room for disagreement
- USDA and Secretary Rollins are publicly downplaying food-supply risk to avoid market panic, while Texas ranchers and industry analysts point out that even a partial spread would drive beef prices higher in a market already strained by the year-long import ban on Mexican cattle.
AI-generated with web search — may be wrong. Check the linked sources.
