Merve Berker
12 June 2026•Update: 12 June 2026
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has activated a formal emergency response to the New World screwworm following the detection of the parasitic fly in cattle for the first time in decades, media reports said on Thursday.
The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the move, according to The Hill.
The US Department of Agriculture is leading efforts on the animal side, monitoring cattle and livestock while releasing sterile flies to help curb the spread of the screwworm.
The CDC said it is preparing for potential human exposure, although no human infestations have been reported.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins described the action as part of a government-wide response.
“The CDC is just one more step in the right direction that allows us to deploy more resources at the federal level,” Rollins told reporters in Texas.
According to the report, at least six cases have been detected in US cattle and one in a goat in Texas, while a dog in New Mexico was also found to be infested.
Health officials said the risk to humans remains localized to areas where screwworm flies are circulating, particularly for people with open wounds or those who spend time around livestock.
The screwworm was eradicated in the United States in the 1960s, although outbreaks have occurred since then. The most recent US outbreak took place in Florida between 2016 and 2017 and was eliminated through a coordinated response involving federal, state, and local authorities.
The parasite remains endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and parts of South America, according to the report.
