National

Flesh-eating parasite New World screwworm confirmed in Texas, USDA says

FILE PHOTO: A sample of screwworms collected are displayed at the veterinary clinic in Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico July 4, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A sample of screwworms collected are displayed at the veterinary clinic in Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico July 4, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo Reuters

CHICAGO - New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that eats warm-blooded animals alive, has been found in a calf in Texas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday evening, exposing the nation's cattle herd to a serious new threat.

(Reporting by Heather Schlitz)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 8:53 PM.

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