# Flesh-eating parasite advances toward U.S., threatening beef prices  
**Published:** 2026-05-28T14:09:45.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/28/repub/flesh-eating-screwworms-head-for-american-livestock/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/flesh-eating-parasite-advances-toward-u-s-threatening-beef-prices

Federal and state officials are bracing for what many view as an inevitable New World screwworm invasion of the United States, a potentially devastating development that could further disrupt livestock markets already reeling from record beef prices, according to a [Nebraska Examiner report](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/28/repub/flesh-eating-screwworms-head-for-american-livestock/).

[The New World screwworm](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm), a parasitic fly eradicated from the United States in 1966, has been spreading northward through Mexico and Central America. [In April 2026, the USDA confirmed an infestation in a young calf in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, approximately 62 miles south of the U.S. border](https://www.myvetcandy.com/news/2026/5/13/new-world-screwworm-is-62-miles-from-the-us-border-every-veterinarian-needs-to-be-paying-attention), marking the closest recorded case to American soil in decades.

Cattle infested with screwworm larvae experience excruciating pain and can die within a week without treatment, as the maggots burrow into living flesh and cause rapidly expanding tissue damage. The federal government has already responded by banning live cattle imports from Mexico, a decision that has compounded existing beef shortages. Prices for ground beef have climbed to a record $6.90 per pound this month, representing a 77 percent increase since January 2020.

Officials are implementing a multi-pronged strategy to keep the pest out. The USDA recently broke ground on a $750 million sterile fly production facility in Edinburg, Texas, designed to produce up to 300 million sterilized male flies per week when it opens next year. These sterilized males, when released into areas with established screwworm populations, will mate with females to lay unfertilized eggs, progressively reducing the population.

However, skepticism abounds. [With the closest case just 90 miles from the U.S. border, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller stated flatly, "We're going to get infested."](https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/livestock/article/2026/04/17/usda-groundbreaking-marks-step-new) Miller said ranchers have ready access to effective treatments like ivermectin, and he expects any outbreak to affect only a few counties along the southern border initially.

State and federal officials have distributed test kits to counties and created new monitoring and quarantine protocols. The federal government has approved emergency medications for prevention and treatment, though veterinarians warn against overuse that could create drug-resistant strains. [Nebraska officials note that screwworms are susceptible to freezing temperatures](https://nda.nebraska.gov/animal/diseases/nws/index.html), potentially limiting northward spread into colder climates during winter months.

Dr. Samantha Holeck, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, emphasized the long-term nature of any response. "It's not going to be a quick fix. It's going to be a long-term response, and it's going to require everybody to work together," she said, noting that the last infestation took more than a decade to eradicate.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/28/repub/flesh-eating-screwworms-head-for-american-livestock/)
- [USDA APHIS - New World Screwworm](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm)
- [My Vet Candy - New World Screwworm Is 62 Miles From the U.S. Border](https://www.myvetcandy.com/news/2026/5/13/new-world-screwworm-is-62-miles-from-the-us-border-every-veterinarian-needs-to-be-paying-attention)
- [DTN PF - USDA Groundbreaking Marks Step Toward Eradication of New World Screwworm Threat](https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/livestock/article/2026/04/17/usda-groundbreaking-marks-step-new)
- [Nebraska Department of Agriculture - New World Screwworm (NWS)](https://nda.nebraska.gov/animal/diseases/nws/index.html)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/28/repub/flesh-eating-screwworms-head-for-american-livestock/.