Canada Halts Texas Livestock Imports Following Flesh-Eating Screwworm Outbreak

What happened

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced a temporary ban on livestock originating from Texas. This decision follows the discovery of flesh-eating New World Screwworms in calves this week. Under the new directive, any cows or horses that were in Texas within 21 days of reaching the Canadian border will be refused entry to prevent the parasitic fly from establishing a foothold in Canada.

What's new in this update

Following the initial discovery of the parasite in a three-week-old calf in La Pryor, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed a second case in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster, warning that the outbreak poses an imminent threat to the agricultural industry. Abbott noted that the parasite is likely to continue spreading throughout the summer months.

Key details

The New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly that lays eggs in the open wounds or mucous membranes of warm-blooded animals. Upon hatching, the larvae burrow through living flesh, which can lead to the death of the host if left untreated. The current cases in Texas are part of a larger trend of the parasite moving through Central America and Mexico. In response, officials have enacted quarantines, movement controls, and intensive surveillance within a designated control zone.

Background and context

The New World Screwworm was considered eradicated in the United States in 1966, though occasional cases have appeared in the decades since. Texas is the largest cattle and beef producer in the US, making the state central to the two-way trade between the US and Canada. In 2025, Canada imported approximately 550,000 cattle from the US for purposes ranging from dairy and wool production to slaughter.

What to watch next

US agricultural and health officials are preparing a response that includes the release of hundreds of millions of genetically altered sterile flies to interrupt the parasite's breeding cycle. They will also deploy sniffer dogs to identify infected animals. While Canadian officials believe the parasite is unlikely to survive in Canada's colder climate, they have urged farmers and pet owners traveling to Texas to remain vigilant for signs of infection.

Why this matters

The outbreak threatens the multi-billion dollar North American cattle trade and marks a resurgence of a parasite that was largely eradicated in the US decades ago.

Reader context

This story belongs to Northstar Herald's International Relations coverage, with related entities including Texas, Agriculture, Livestock, Canada. The report is based on BBC World News source material.

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