New World Screwworm Reaches El Paso County in a Dog as Active Cases Rise to 18 Across the Southwest
El Paso County reported its first case, in a dog in Socorro, as the USDA's active count climbed to 18; a state representative is urging pet owners to check their animals and see a veterinarian on suspicion.
The number of active New World screwworm cases across the Southwest rose to 18 on Wednesday, October 28, and El Paso County reported its first case — in a dog in Socorro — according to Border Report reporting carried in Lubbock Lights' Friday Ledger, read in full this cycle. The USDA's five newest confirmed cases involved four dogs and a cat, and Cochise County, Arizona reported that state's first case in the same round.
The screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into the living tissue of livestock, pets and wildlife through open wounds — which is why a case in a household dog, not only in cattle, is drawing official attention. State Rep. Mary Gonzalez of El Paso urged pet owners to check their animals and see a veterinarian if they suspect an infestation, according to the report. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller had warned earlier in the week, after four cases in Hudspeth County and in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, the Ledger noted.
For Texas, the El Paso County case moves the pest's confirmed footprint to the state's western edge, in a county that borders both New Mexico and Mexico and sits on the I-10 livestock and pet corridor into the rest of the state. The desk is carrying the story at the level the sourcing supports — a confirmed first county case and a rising regional count — and will follow the USDA and state animal-health updates as they are published.
