Screwworm Turns Up in Pecos County as Texas Lifts Other Quarantines
A new case in Pecos County triggered a fresh livestock quarantine Oct. 11, even as Texas released zones in four other counties. Here is where the fight stands.
The fight against New World screwworm in Texas took a step back and a step forward in the same week. On Oct. 10, the pest was found in a bovine in Pecos County, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission. The USDA had not announced its own confirmation of the Pecos County case when this story was written. The next day, the Texas Animal Health Commission set up a new quarantine, Infested Zone 22, in parts of Pecos and Terrell counties.
Two days after that, on Oct. 13, the commission released or shrank zones in Edwards, Schleicher, Sutton and Val Verde counties after epidemiological reviews found they met the criteria. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service agreed with the releases.
Where things stand
Screwworm was first confirmed in Texas on June 3, in a calf in Zavala County. Since then, the state has confirmed detections in 17 counties and on 43 premises, according to the TAHC's outbreak page.
Movement restrictions remain in parts of Brewster, Crockett, Edwards, Jeff Davis, Pecos, Presidio, Schleicher, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Val Verde and Zapata counties. No warm-blooded animal can leave an infested zone without TAHC authorization. Animals must be inspected and treated by a TAHC or certified inspector and travel with a movement certificate.
Gov. Greg Abbott has issued statewide disaster proclamations over the threat since January and renewed the current one on Oct. 2, according to the Oct. 11 order.
What screwworm does
Screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds. The larvae feed on living flesh, and the TAHC warns that an untreated animal can die within a week. Cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pets and wildlife can all be hit, and in rare cases people.
The pest was eradicated from the United States in 1966 using the sterile insect technique, releasing sterile male flies so females lay eggs that never hatch. That same method is being used now, along with ground and aerial releases. The outbreak moved north through Central America after 2023 and into Mexico in late 2024.
For shoppers, the TAHC says USDA meat inspectors would catch any infestation and keep that product out of commerce.
The cost to ranchers
For a ranch inside a zone, every sale, move to pasture or trip to the vet now means an inspection, treatment and paperwork. That costs time and money in a business already squeezed by drought and high input prices. Each zone release is real relief for families who have been stuck.
TAHC and Texas A&M AgriLife have built a certified inspector program so more trained people can issue movement certificates in the field.
What to do
Check animals often, especially wounds, navels on newborns and body openings. Keep wounds clean and treated, and work with a veterinarian on prevention. Report any suspected case within 24 hours to the TAHC at 1-800-550-8242. Report suspected cases in wildlife to Texas Parks and Wildlife at 512-389-4505.
Hunters heading out this fall should keep watch too. TPWD has asked them to check deer on trail cameras and at harvest, as we noted in our deer season outlook. A rancher's first duty is to his animals, and in this fight, a sharp eye and a quick phone call are worth a great deal.
Hero photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture, public domain. The photo shows a USDA program meeting, not the Texas outbreak.
