USDA Says Food Supply Safe as Screwworm Cases Rise in Texas
CNBC reported Monday that the United States food supply faces no immediate danger from a fresh outbreak of the New World screwworm parasite confirmed in Texas. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins delivered that assurance during a live television interview, even as the total confirmed screwworm Texas cases climbed to four within hours of her remarks.
What the Screwworm Parasite Actually Does
The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly with a particularly grim life cycle. Its larvae bore into the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, creating wounds that deepen rapidly without treatment. Livestock, household pets, wildlife and, in rare instances, humans are all vulnerable. Critically, the USDA noted the organism does not infest meat, produce or any food product intended for human consumption. That distinction underpins Rollins’ confidence about supply chain safety.
Four Confirmed Cases Across Two Texas Counties
The USDA confirmed two additional cases shortly after Rollins spoke. A calf in La Salle County and a dog in Andrews County both tested positive, joining two earlier cases in Zavala County. The Zavala County cases sit roughly five miles apart on separate ranches. Authorities said the Andrews County dog had recently traveled to Mexico, suggesting a cross-border transmission route. All four detections represent the first confirmed screwworm presence in the United States since the 1960s.
Also Read: What Markets Need to Know About U.S. Agricultural Supply Chain Risks
A Playbook Decades in the Making
The U.S. eradicated the screwworm once before. A sustained campaign beginning in the late 1950s deployed sterile insect releases to collapse breeding populations. Rollins told CNBC the same method is already operational. Roughly 10 million sterile flies are being dropped weekly across affected areas via both aerial and ground operations. The administration has committed more than $1 billion to push the pest back south and ultimately eliminate it again. Rollins told CNBC the government is moving at full pace and called any characterization of a slow response “disturbing and disruptive.” That remark was directed at Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who had publicly accused the USDA of reacting too slowly to prevent border crossing by the fly.
Political Friction Shadows the Response
Inter-agency tensions add a layer of complexity to an already challenging containment effort. Miller’s public criticism drew a sharp rebuke from Rollins, who insisted federal teams have been aggressive from the outset. The dispute underlines pressure on the USDA to demonstrate visible action before the outbreak widens beyond two counties.
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