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Texas has activated its State Emergency Operations Center after officials confirmed infestations of the New World screwworm parasite in livestock, prompting a coordinated containment effort across affected regions. Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to mobilize multiple agencies to protect the state’s agricultural sector and limit the risk to wildlife. The parasite’s larvae invade small, open wounds on living warm‑blooded animals, consuming healthy tissue rather than dead or necrotic matter, and can fatally damage cattle, companion animals, and native wildlife if left untreated. Authorities note that the infestations also pose a secondary zoonotic concern for humans who may come into contact with infected animals. Texas agricultural officials and federal veterinary monitors are creating quarantine zones and livestock inspection checkpoints in corridors where the screwworm has been detected, aiming to contain the spread before it affects additional herds and wildlife populations. The response plan centers on the Sterile Insect Technique, which involves releasing millions of radiation‑sterilized male flies so that matings with wild females do not produce viable offspring, gradually collapsing the parasite’s local population. Field teams are instructing ranchers and land managers to carry out intensive daily inspections of their herds, monitor even minor wounds, and report any suspected maggot infestations to state veterinary hotlines for rapid investigation and treatment guidance.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.