Flesh-Eating Screwworm Cases Surge Across U.S. Southwest
Summary
Federal officials have confirmed 116 New World screwworm cases in the U.S. Southwest, nearly 55 percent more than the total reported on October 29. The USDA reports 56 active and 60 inactive cases; it says the risk to people in the United States is very low, and no locally acquired human cases have been reported during the current outbreak.Key Facts
- The USDA’s latest data lists 116 animal cases: 56 active and 60 inactive.
- An inactive case means the individual animal no longer needs mitigation; it does not show that the surrounding area is parasite-free.
- Officials confirmed 64 of the 116 cases in the 30 days before the report.
- Recent detections include cattle in Texas and New Mexico, a horse in Arizona, and a domestic dog in New Mexico.
- The parasite’s larvae infest wounds and feed on living tissue in warm-blooded animals.
- New World screwworm was considered eradicated from the United States in 1966 after the release of sterile male flies.
- The USDA says it is using animal-movement restrictions, surveillance, and sterile insect releases to fight the outbreak, and has announced about $105 million for related projects.
- The CDC reported more than 209,400 animal cases and 2,850 human cases in Central America and Mexico by October 2026.
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