June 8 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday confirmed two additional cases of New World screwworm in Texas, involving a calf in La Salle County and a dog in Andrews County.
The USDA added that epidemiological investigations are ongoing for both cases.
New World screwworm is a serious pest that threatens livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, people, the USDA said. The larvae burrow into the living tissue of animals, causing severe wounds, animal suffering and significant economic losses.
A second case of the flesh-eating screwworm parasite was confirmed in Texas by the USDA on Friday, emerging just miles from where the first U.S. detection in decades was reported last week.
(Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee and Anjana Anil in Bengaluru; Editing by Louise Heavens)
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