Will U.S. Beef Prices Surge? Flesh-Eating Fly Larvae Confirmed After 60 Years, Livestock Industry on High Alert

Infection Case Confirmed in Texas Calf
Untreated Hosts May Die from Infection

The livestock industry in the United States has been put on high alert after the discovery of a parasitic “New World screwworm” that survives by eating the flesh of living animals, found in a calf in Texas.

On June 5, Yonhap News Agency, citing the U.S.-based online media outlet Axios, reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed a case of New World screwworm infection in a calf in Texas the previous day and immediately launched emergency quarantine measures.

This marks the first confirmed case of New World screwworm infection in the U.S. in more than 60 years. The parasite was previously believed to have been eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s. The USDA is currently isolating and treating the infected calf, and is also conducting on-site investigations to determine whether there are additional cases.

View of Mexico City. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The New World screwworm is the larva of a fly, and when the adult lays eggs on the skin of livestock, wild animals, or humans—all warm-blooded animals—hundreds of larvae hatch and burrow into the skin and tissue, feeding as they grow.

The maggots bore into the flesh of the host with their sharp mouths in a manner similar to a screw being driven into wood, hence the name “screwworm.” If the infection is not treated in time, the host may die as a result.

With the population of screwworms recently increasing in Mexico, concerns have been steadily raised about the possibility of the parasite spreading across the U.S. border. The U.S. livestock industry fears that if additional cases are confirmed, there could be significant economic damage due to increased quarantine costs as well as reduced consumer demand for beef.

Indeed, after news of the New World screwworm’s discovery broke, live cattle futures prices in the U.S. fell by about 0.8% during intraday trading.

Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), stated, “Our association has worked for over a year to prevent the entry of the New World screwworm,” adding, “We are taking every possible step to protect the interests of the U.S. livestock industry.”

Meanwhile, the size of the U.S. cattle herd has declined to its lowest level in 75 years, due to factors such as drought and rising feed prices. Industry experts are concerned that if the current infection case spreads, it could become a significant burden on the entire livestock industry.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.