USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the first U.S. wildlife case of New World screwworm on October 20, 2026. The pest was found in an elk harvested by a hunter at a game farm in Pecos County, Texas. The animal was already dead when it was reported, so the case is considered inactive.
As of October 21 there had been 59 animal cases of screwworm in the U.S. since the first detection on June 3, and seven were considered active. Pecos County has also had five cases in domestic livestock, including an active case in a bovine reported on October 10. APHIS says hunters, landowners and wildlife professionals play a critical role, and that early reporting is one of the most important tools for protecting wildlife, livestock and pets.
Officials ask anyone near infested areas to watch all animals, wildlife included, for larvae in wounds or body openings, open or draining wounds, foul-smelling injuries, and animals that appear in distress, and to contact animal health officials about anything suspicious. USDA credits surveillance, treatment and the release of more than 1.5 billion sterile flies with limiting the spread. It is reopening cattle imports from Mexico one port at a time, with Columbus, New Mexico reopening on October 26 and Nogales, Arizona planned for November 30 if conditions continue to allow.
Why it matters for producers
A wildlife case means screwworm can turn up on remote pasture, far from the pens and chutes where wounds are easiest to spot. Frequent checks of every animal and fast reporting of any suspicious wound matter more than ever.
Source: DTN/Progressive Farmer: Texas Elk Marks First US Wildlife Case of NWS (October 26, 2026)
