{"id":1098,"date":"2026-06-05T17:10:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T17:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reliablemovingcrews.com\/?p=1098"},"modified":"2026-06-05T17:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T17:10:22","slug":"how-flesh-eating-screwworms-in-cattle-could-raise-us-beef-prices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reliablemovingcrews.com\/?p=1098","title":{"rendered":"How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices"},"content":{"rendered":"
CHICAGO, June 4 – New World screwworm, a devastating parasite that eats cattle and other wild animals alive, traveled north from Central America to Mexico before being confirmed in a Texas calf on Wednesday, creeping past biological barriers that kept the pest contained for \u200bdecades, experts said.<\/div>
Washington has halted cattle imports from Mexico for the past year, citing the insect\u2019s spread<\/svg>, opens new tab<\/span> further into Mexico.<\/div>
With the U.S. cattle herd \u200calready at a multi-decade low, the closure elevated record-high beef prices by keeping more calves out of the U.S. supply chain. The first confirmed case in the U.S. during the latest outbreak represents a serious challenge for ranchers and could cause beef prices to rise further.<\/div>
What is New World Screwworm?<\/div>
Screwworms are parasitic flies whose females lay eggs in wounds on any warm-blooded animal. \u200bLivestock and wild animals are usually the victims. Once the eggs hatch, hundreds of screwworm larvae use their sharp mouths to burrow \u200bthrough living flesh – feeding, enlarging the wound and eventually killing their host if left untreated.<\/div>
When screwworms infect a cow, a \u2060tiny scrape, a recent brand or a healing ear tag can quickly become a gaping wound, carpeted with wriggling maggots that put the entire \u200bherd at risk of infestation. Screwworms were eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s when researchers began releasing massive numbers of sterilized male screwworm flies that \u200bmate with wild female screwworms to produce infertile eggs.<\/div>
Why does this matter to U.S. consumers?<\/div>
The U.S. typically imports over a million cattle from Mexico every year. The import suspension contributed to rising beef prices by tightening the supply of beef cattle, which dwindled after drought forced ranchers to slash herds.<\/div>
Mexican cattle are usually fed and fattened on U.S. \u200bfarms for five to six months before slaughter, and a diminished slaughter rate can elevate beef prices.<\/div>
An expansive U.S. outbreak would further tighten the cattle supply and \u200bput other livestock and household pets at risk.<\/div>
Screwworms will even feed on humans if they can, said Dr. Timothy Goldsmith, a veterinary medicine professor at the University of \u200cMinnesota. Homeless \u2060people would be especially vulnerable to infestation because they sleep outside and have less access to hygiene products and medical care, Goldsmith said.<\/div>
What is being done to fight the parasite?<\/div>
A factory designed to breed and sterilize screwworms in Panama is releasing 100 million sterile flies every week, but experts say more factories would have needed to come online quickly to choke off the fly\u2019s spread north.<\/div>
A production facility for sterile flies in Texas is not expected to open \u200buntil late 2027. USDA completed a dispersal facility for \u200bsterile flies in the state \u2060in February.<\/div>
Screwworms cannot fly more than 12 miles on their own, but they can cover large distances while burrowed inside their hosts, said Sonja Swiger, entomologist at Texas A&M University. The flies have already passed through the narrowest \u200bstretches of land in Panama and Mexico, meaning exponentially more sterile flies need to be released to control \u200bthe outbreak.<\/div>
Last year, the \u2060U.S. Department of Agriculture announced<\/svg>, opens new tab<\/span> it would invest $21 million to convert a fruit fly factory in Mexico to produce sterile screwworms.<\/div>
How could this impact American cattle ranchers?<\/div>
The USDA estimated a screwworm outbreak would cost the Texas economy in livestock deaths, labor costs and medication expenses. After decades of eradication, most cattle ranchers no \u2060longer have \u200bthe experience or tools to diagnose and treat screwworm. Infestations can be cured, but treatment \u200binvolves removing hundreds of larvae and thoroughly disinfecting wounds, a time-consuming, pricey and labor-intensive process.<\/div>
\u201cThis is a pest we don\u2019t want back. This is a bad thing,” said David Anderson, livestock \u200beconomist at Texas A&M University. “I can\u2019t imagine having to deal with that. It\u2019s gross.”<\/div>