Texas battles two new screwworm cases in bid to curb flesh-eating cattle parasite

Texas has confirmed two new screwworm cases, a flesh-eating parasite that targets livestock, prompting renewed containment efforts across the state. The USDA is expanding sterile-insect programs and planning a large Texas facility to curb the outbreak, while Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller advocates using poison bait as a faster, local solution—despite concerns from experts about risks to other insects and even humans. The situation is tied to cross-border exposure from Mexico, and officials briefed at Kerrville’s U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory.