The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed a second case of the New World screwworm in Texas, detected in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County less than six miles from where the first case was found earlier this week.
The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly species whose larvae feed on living tissue of warm-blooded animals, including humans. The pest, historically found in South America and parts of the Caribbean, has been spreading north through Central America and Mexico since 2023. This marks the first confirmed cases in Texas since 1966.
What the Right Is Saying
Texas Republican officials and agricultural industry groups have praised the USDA's response while calling for streamlined coordination between federal and state agencies to protect ranchers.
"USDA has demonstrated remarkable preparedness, and this second detection shows our surveillance systems are working as intended," said Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening. "Texas livestock producers must remain vigilant in managing and combating this invasive pest."
Conservatives have emphasized limiting regulatory burdens on producers while the eradication efforts proceed, noting that movement control zones and testing requirements should be targeted and time-limited.
"Our ranchers need flexibility to manage their operations during this response," said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. "We're working closely with USDA to ensure our farmers aren't facing unnecessary hurdles while protecting the cattle population."
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic lawmakers and agricultural advocates have emphasized the need for robust federal funding to support eradication efforts and assist affected ranchers during the outbreak response period.
"This is exactly why we need sustained investment in USDA's animal health programs," said a spokesperson for the House Agriculture Committee Democrats. "When invasive pests threaten our livestock sector, the federal government must be ready to respond swiftly with resources that protect both producers and consumers."
Environmental groups have noted that the screwworm's spread northward tracks with climate-driven changes in agricultural pest ranges, calling for increased monitoring infrastructure along southern border regions.
"This outbreak is a reminder of how changing conditions create new challenges for American agriculture," the Center for Rural Affairs wrote in a statement. "We need adaptive strategies that account for pests moving into new territories."
What the Numbers Show
The economic stakes are significant for Texas, the nation's top cattle-producing state.
APHIS projected last year that a sizeable screwworm outbreak could result in $1.8 billion in losses for the Lone Star State economy and cost producers upwards of $732 million annually if left unchecked.
In response, USDA has deployed mobile response trailers to the infestation area and initiated what the agency described as "unprecedented" sterile fly releases: 2 million released by air and 4 million released on the ground per week. All southern ports of entry were closed to livestock trade last July following an order from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Movement control zones remain in effect, surveillance has been intensified throughout the region, and treatment supplies are available through the Texas Animal Health Commission, according to USDA.
The Bottom Line
The detection of a second screwworm case within days of the first confirms that the invasive pest has established itself in Texas for the first time in nearly six decades. Federal and state officials have activated emergency response protocols, but the economic projections underline the potential severity of an uncontrolled outbreak.
Producers should report any signs of infestation—painful, foul-smelling wounds on livestock—to the Texas Animal Health Commission immediately. USDA has stated it defeated this pest before and will do so again, pointing to successful eradication efforts in Florida in the 1960s as a model for the current response. Watch for updates on sterile fly release effectiveness and whether additional cases emerge outside the established control zones.