Federal agriculture officials announced Monday they have identified two more instances of New World screwworm affecting animals in Texas – one involving a young cow in La Salle County and another affecting a dog in Andrews County.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, investigators continue examining both situations to determine how the animals became infected.
Officials describe New World screwworm as a dangerous parasite that poses risks to farm animals, household pets, wild animals, and occasionally humans. The parasite’s offspring tunnel into living animal tissue, creating serious injuries, causing animal distress, and resulting in substantial financial damage to agricultural operations.
These latest confirmations follow Friday’s announcement of another screwworm case in Texas, discovered only a short distance from where officials reported the first detection of this flesh-eating parasite in the United States in many years.
