More cases of parasitic screwworm confirmed. Here’s who is at risk, where it’s spreading

Related video above: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins addresses the New World screwworm threat in June 2026

(NEXSTAR) – The number of confirmed New World screwworm infestations in the U.S. has grown to 45 cases in August, the United States Department of Agriculture says.

The latest case was confirmed in Terrell County, Texas, in a domesticated sheep. So far, the New World screwworm has only been found in animals – including cattle, sheep and dogs – since it crossed into the U.S. this summer. Humans aren’t entirely safe, however.

The screwworm flies can lay eggs on any warm-blooded animal, including people. Those eggs develop into parasitic larvae, or maggots, that feed on the surrounding flesh as they burrow deeper.

If left untreated, a screwworm infestation can be deadly.

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