Texas in Crisis: The Return of the Flesh-Eating Fly

(SeaPRwire) –

By: Christian Brooks, a prominent financial and business lead commentator

The New World screwworm fly threatens the $113 billion U.S. cattle industry. An infestation was found in a 3 – week – old calf in La Pryor, Texas. Federal and state officials had tried to keep it out of Texas, which has $17 billion worth of cattle.

The fly was detected in Mexico in late 2024. It was a problem from the 1930s to 1960s until the U.S. eradicated it. The larvae eat live flesh. Any warm – blooded animal can be infested. Livestock are vulnerable due to handling. An untreated infestation can be fatal. But the fly doesn’t infest food, and beef production may not be damaged.

Officials have been warning about the fly’s movement since 2024. It reproduces fast and spreads via hosts. Outside Panama, sterile fly programs are mostly shut down. As of June 2, over 171,700 animals and 2,000 people in Central America and Mexico are sick, with 10 human deaths. The U.S. closed border entries to livestock in 2025, delaying the fly’s arrival.

Texas imposed a quarantine. Ranchers are giving preventive injections and treating wounds. The USDA has been dropping sterile flies since February. It’s also investing in new breeding facilities. With the fly’s spread and potential impact on the cattle industry, immediate and effective measures are crucial to control the situation and safeguard the industry’s future.