Many Kansas ranchers are watching with concern as the New World screwworm, a dangerous livestock parasite, has been confirmed in the United States for the first time in about 60 years.
According to reporting by Axios, there have been only a dozen confirmed U.S. cases so far, but federal officials are moving quickly to prevent the parasite from becoming a larger threat to cattle and other livestock. Axios reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a $1.3 billion New World Screwworm response.
That response includes plans for a $750 million facility in Texas to produce and release 300 million sterile male screwworm flies each week. The sterile-fly method is used to disrupt reproduction and slow the spread of the pest. Axios also reported that the Food and Drug Administration is fast-tracking treatments.
The first U.S. case in the current outbreak was detected June 3 in South Texas. Axios reported that 12 cases have now been confirmed in the United States, including 11 in Texas and one in New Mexico. Most have involved cattle, but cases also have been found in sheep, goats and a dog.
The concern comes at a difficult time for the cattle industry. Beef prices are near record highs, and the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level in 75 years following prolonged drought conditions, according to Axios. While the screwworm’s arrival has not yet had a measurable effect on beef prices, its spread in Mexico has reduced cattle imports and added pressure to the market.
For decades, screwworms had been contained in Panama. Axios reported that cases began moving north in 2023, spreading through Central America and Mexico before reaching the United States this month.
The parasite lays eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Once hatched, the larvae feed on living tissue, creating serious and sometimes fatal infestations if not treated quickly.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has attributed the northward spread of the flies to the movement of people and livestock, Axios reported.
For Kansas ranchers, the confirmed cases remain several states away, but the concern is real. With cattle prices already high and herds still recovering from drought, the industry is watching closely to see whether federal containment efforts can stop the screwworm before it spreads farther into livestock country.