Screwworm Has Reached US Wildlife

The New World screwworm has logged another first in Texas: showing up in a wild animal. Federal officials say they've confirmed the screwworm—a flesh-eating parasite—in an elk harvested by a hunter on a game ranch in Pecos County, per the Guardian. The discovery expands an already designated infestation zone as Texas has logged dozens of screwworm cases this year in cattle and pets, including a horse and a dog. The elk brings total US cases to 59, with five of those in New Mexico, reports Texas Public Radio.

The parasite, eradicated from the US decades ago, has been moving north from Central America through Mexico, a spread that helped trigger a lengthy US ban on Mexican cattle imports, squeezing supplies and sending beef prices to record highs. A phased reopening began at one Arizona port in August. State and federal agencies are now ramping up wildlife surveillance and urging hunters and landowners to watch for infected animals, who may feature open wounds, visible larvae, the smell of decay, and signs of weakness or distress.