WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 03, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the detection of a New World screwworm (NWS) in a bovine in Zavala County, Texas. NWS is a serious pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and less commonly, people and birds. NWS larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing serious damage to livestock and economic losses.
The affected animal is a 3-week-old calf and larvae were identified in its umbilical area. To date, there have been no further detections.
That’s a diff type of worm. :D
That can infect humans.
I wonder if Ivermectin will actually help this time.
Perhaps a COVID vaccine.
I don’t think it’s recommended, yet: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/safety-health/animal-drugs-new-world-screwworm but there’s a lot of treatments there, I haven’t read all of them in detail.
It is effective against a couple other parasitic worms, so it might be better than nothing.