Key facts
- A second case of New World screwworm (NWS) infestation has been confirmed in Zavala County, Texas.
- The second case was found in a one-month-old calf, approximately 5.6 miles from the first confirmed detection.
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott has expanded the state's disaster declaration in response to the outbreak.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responding with containment and dispersal measures.
- The outbreak poses a significant threat to the U.S. cattle herd, which is already at a 75-year low.
Texas has confirmed a second case of New World screwworm (NWS) infestation in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County, approximately 5.6 miles from the initial detection. Governor Greg Abbott has expanded the state's disaster declaration in response to the growing threat. The USDA is actively responding with containment and sterile insect dispersal efforts, noting that both cases remain within an established control zone. The resurgence of NWS, which was once eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s, poses a significant risk to the nation's cattle herd, which is already at a 75-year low, with beef prices at record highs. Goldman Sachs analysts warned that a widespread outbreak in Texas, which holds 14% of the U.S. cattle herd, could disrupt the beef industry, potentially leading to further pressure on cattle costs, weaker consumer demand for beef, and a substitution effect toward chicken. The situation could also impact meatpackers like JBS and National Beef. Conversely, South American beef exporters like Minerva could benefit from increased demand for U.S. exports.