Flesh-eating screwworm turns up in Texas calf for first time since 1966

A New World screwworm infestation has been confirmed in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas, marking the state's first detected case since 1966. The flesh-eating parasite was found about 50 miles from the Mexico border after federal and state officials spent months trying to keep it from reaching the United States. The fly's larvae feed on live tissue in open wounds, putting cattle, other warm-blooded animals and, in rare cases, people at risk. Texas is the top U.S. cattle state, with about $17 billion in cattle value, and the broader industry is worth $113 billion. Agriculture officials said the pest does not infest food and is unlikely to disrupt beef production, but untreated cases can be fatal.