Texas faces substantial economic risk from screwworms, with USDA estimating potential losses of at least $1.8 billion in livestock deaths, labor costs, and medications.

Recent regional developments include a November 2024 screwworm outbreak in Mexico that led to a temporary pause on U.S. livestock imports at the southern border, followed by phased reopenings and the establishment of a new sterile fly dispersal facility in southern Texas.

Historically eradicated in parts of the U.S., New World screwworms have reemerged since 2023, with increasing northward spread from Central America and the Caribbean.

In humans, myiasis presents as non-healing wounds with visible larvae; treatment centers on manual removal of larvae since there are no approved drugs for NWS in humans or animals.

The case underscores the importance of robust surveillance, proactive public health funding, and awareness of travel-related risks in safeguarding public health.

The United States has confirmed its first human case of New World screwworm myiasis, involving a Maryland resident who had recently traveled to El Salvador and has since recovered.

The case was confirmed by the CDC, with travel-related exposure linked to the trip to El Salvador.

Public health officials say the immediate risk to U.S. public health remains very low, based on current surveillance.

Authorities are emphasizing containment measures aimed at keeping the parasite south of the U.S. border to protect livestock and public health.

The sterile-fly program relies on releasing sterile males to mate with females, producing non-viable eggs and reducing populations, a method that helped eradicate outbreaks in the 1960s.

USDA announced a five-part, large-scale plan to combat the screwworm, including billions of sterile flies released over southern Texas and Mexico, a new Texas sterile fly facility, and enhanced border inspections.