Overview
- Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration to mobilize resources and prevent the screwworm from establishing in Texas.
- Abbott cited northward movement from Mexico toward the southern U.S. border as a serious risk to the state's cattle industry and wildlife.
- The CDC says the parasite targets open wounds where females lay eggs and the larvae consume living tissue, a process that can kill an infected cow in about two weeks.
- U.S. officials report no confirmed domestic cases, though rare travel‑related human infections have been documented, including a case after travel to the Dominican Republic.
- Authorities are escalating surveillance and preparedness, and reports describe planning for costly prevention measures such as mass releases of sterile male flies to suppress populations.