Screwworm Is Back In Texas Cattle—How The Parasite Could Drive Beef Prices Even Higher

BreakingBusinessScrewworm Is Back In Texas Cattle—How The Parasite Could Drive Beef Prices Even HigherByMary Whitfill Roeloffs,Forbes Staff. Mary Roeloffs is a Forbes breaking news reporter covering pop culture.Follow AuthorJun 04, 2026, 10:58am EDTToplineA flesh-eating parasite that was largely eradicated from U.S. livestock in the 1960s has been found in a 3-week-old calf in a south Texas border town, the USDA confirmed, a threat that could drive the already soaring price of beef even higher. Farmer Jose Esquivel and his field of cattle on June 13, 2023 in Quemado, Texas. Getty ImagesKey FactsNew World screwworm, a parasitic fly with larvae that burrow in healthy tissue of cattle, deer, horses and other warm-blooded animals, was discovered in La Pryor, Texas.The case is the only one that has been identified in the country so far, according to the USDA, but a wider outbreak could severely impact already-suffering cattle numbers and put even more of a strain on ranchers as they spend money on treatment and prevention. In turn, the price of beef—which has gone up roughly 75% since December 2020—could continue to rise. The U.S. cattle herd is already at its lowest level in 75 years, and a major screwworm outbreak would cause more calves to die, adult cattle to lose weight and limit what animals are suitable for sale, meaning fewer pounds of beef reaching the market. Even without a major outbreak, containment efforts may cause the government to implement widespread cattle movement restrictions, limit border crossings or impose quarantine on certain herds, all of which would further impact the nation’s cattle numbers. Officials from Texas and the USDA are taking steps to "contain and eradicate" screwworm, the agency said, including implementing cattle quarantines, movement controls and surveillance within a 20 kilometer area of the infected calf; trapping flies along the border; and releasing millions of sterile male New World screwworm flies in the region, wh...