USDA confirms screwworm in a Texas elk, the first US wildlife case

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Wednesday it has confirmed the first detection of the New World screwworm in U.S. wildlife. The flesh-eating parasite was found in an elk in Pecos County, Texas ¹.

The elk was on a game ranch and was reported after a hunter harvested it, the USDA said in a statement ¹. The Texas Animal Health Commission will modify a previously established infested zone. The USDA and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are doing more wildlife surveillance in the area ¹.

A warning to hunters and landowners

Hunting season is under way, and officials want people in the field to watch for signs of the parasite. Texas wildlife division director Alan Cain said so in a statement ¹.

We encourage all hunters and landowners to be vigilant for signs of New World screwworm while they are out in the field this season,

Pecos County was already on the state's list of areas under screwworm movement restrictions as of early August ². That list covered parts of 23 Texas counties. At that point the state tracker showed confirmed cases on 34 premises in 15 counties ².

How we got here

The pest was eradicated from the United States decades ago. It has since surged north from Central America through Mexico ¹. Washington responded with a ban on Mexican cattle imports that has lasted more than a year ¹.

Trade resumed in August at an Arizona port as part of a phased reopening plan ¹. Even so, screwworm was found in June on a calf in Zavala County, Texas, near the border. Dozens of U.S. cases have been found since, including on a horse and a dog ¹.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had already activated the state's emergency operations center. Officials are using surveillance, limits on animal movement, and releases of sterile flies, which keep the pest from reproducing. Texas used the sterile-fly method to wipe out the pest in 1966 ².

Why it matters at the grocery store

The import halt has tightened U.S. cattle supplies and pushed beef prices to record highs for American consumers ¹. A parasite now confirmed in wildlife is harder to contain than one found only on ranches. The USDA has not said what the elk case means for beef prices.

That raises fair questions about the federal response. How quickly can sterile-fly production catch up? What will officials do if the pest spreads among wild animals? The wire reports do not answer those questions.

The Texas Animal Health Commission lists a reporting line for livestock and exotic animals at 1-800-550-8242. Wildlife reports go to Texas Parks and Wildlife at 512-389-4505 ². The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the public risk remains very low. No locally acquired human infestations have been reported in the U.S., according to the August report ².

The Record

1. Jun 3, 2026Screwworm is confirmed in a calf in Zavala County, Texas, the state's first case this year ².
2. Aug 4, 2026Texas tracker shows confirmed cases on 34 premises in 15 counties, with parts of 23 counties under movement restrictions ².
3. Oct 21, 2026USDA confirms screwworm in an elk in Pecos County, Texas, the first detection in U.S. wildlife ¹.

Sources

1. The Guardian, “Officials confirm flesh-eating New World screwworm parasite found in US wildlife” (2026-10-21). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/21/new-world-screwworm-texa
2. Hoodline, “Texas bug war: screwworm outbreak spreads to 15 counties” (2026-08-04). hoodline.com/2026/08/texas-bug-war-screwworm-outbreak-spread

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