Overview
- Officials confirmed a second infected calf in Zavala County, Texas, located about 5.6 miles from the first detection, triggering a stepped-up response.
- The USDA and Texas authorities have set localized quarantine and detection zones, intensified trapping and surveillance, and increased releases of radiation-sterilized male flies to break breeding cycles.
- Canada has temporarily banned livestock imports from Texas and Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster, underscoring immediate trade and economic concerns for ranchers.
- Ranchers face animal health and financial risks because screwworm larvae burrow into living tissue and can kill animals through severe wounds or secondary infection if not treated quickly.
- Screwworm was eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s using the sterile-insect technique, and officials are now expanding fly-production capacity while political debate grows over the speed of construction and past monitoring efforts.