USDA Confirms Five Screwworm Cases, Spurs $1B Eradication Effort
TSN•USDA confirms total of five New World screwworm cases in cattle, goat and dog across Texas and New Mexico, triggering over $1 billion in eradication funding. 12 Texas counties impose livestock and pet movement bans and Canada bars Texas cattle transit, intensifying beef supply pressure on a 75-year low herd.
1. Screwworm Cases Spread to Multiple States
Three additional New World screwworm infections were detected in a calf in La Salle County, Texas, a goat in Gillespie County, Texas, and a dog in Lea County, New Mexico, raising the US total to five cases. This marks the first detection in cattle in about five decades and follows two calf cases in South Texas last week.
2. Control Measures and Beef Supply Impact
The USDA is investing over $1 billion in eradication efforts while Georgia and 12 Texas counties restrict livestock and pet movements and Canada bars recent Texas cattle transit. These measures add pressure to the domestic beef supply, which is already strained by a herd at a 75-year low, potentially affecting Tyson Foods’ beef operations.
