The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, is traveling across Texas to highlight progress in the battle against the New World Screwworm. Rollins visited the Zavala County Ranch where the first case of the flesh-eating parasite was discovered and highlighted the full recovery of case one after nine days of treatment.
On Thursday, Secretary Rollins visited the Rock Creek Ranch alongside John Bellinger, the new Senior Advisor for New World Screwworm Preparedness, where South Texas rancher Robbie spoke to the pair about the full recovery of the first detected case in La Pryor, Texas. Rollins posted a video of the visit showing the calf moving around a ranch pen with its mother.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the detection of New World Screwworm larvae in the calf less than 50 miles from the U.S. Mexico border. The flesh-eating screwworm maggots were found in the umbilical area of the 3-week-old calf in Zavala County on June 3.
The reintroduction of the New World Screwworm had been feared by authorities in Texas for some time. Since the first discovery in Zavala County, six additional cases have been discovered, mostly in Texas. The screwworm poses a serious threat to livestock producers within the state and nationwide should its migration spread.
One case has been discovered in a dog whose owner resides in New Mexico. Authorities say the pet had recently been in Mexico, where the infestation may have occurred. The USDA has created a tracking system to monitor and map cases as the outbreak continues.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, officials in the state have braced for the threat as the pest’s northward migration progressed through Mexico towards the Lone Star State.
In August 2025, the threat prompted Texas Governor Greg Abbott to issue a rare statewide disaster declaration and activate emergency powers in anticipation of the flesh-eating parasite crossing the border. The devastating parasite was eradicated in 1966 through the introduction of a sterile male fly (SIT) release program.
Authorities are ramping up production and release of the sterile flies in hopes of eradicating the latest outbreak. According to a report by the Texas A&M University (TAMU) AgriLife Extension, the SIT method is effective in neutralizing the flesh-eating screwworm but is not instantaneous.
According to TAMU, frequent herd and flock surveillance is critical for preventing screwworm infestations. The monitoring of herds is critical as geographic spread of the parasite is mostly attributed to the movement of infested animals by humans and less frequently by fly mobility.
Rollins held a meeting with Texas cattle producers and visited several other ranches in Texas during the Thursday visit to the state to highlight efforts to protect the state’s cattle industry from the outbreak of NWS. The potential for financial losses threatens not only the cattle industry but also the hunting and wildlife industries. Potential losses have been estimated at up to $2.1 billion, according to a report by Texas A&M University.
The hunting industry in Texas generates an estimated $4.6 billion in economic output and generates more than $400 million in tax revenues annually, according to Texas A&M University. Monitoring the spread of the New World Screwworm in the white-tailed deer population and other wildlife will pose a daunting challenge to authorities.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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