06/10/2026
🐐 A heads-up for goat keepers: New World screwworm
In early June 2026, USDA confirmed New World screwworm in livestock in Texas - the first US detection in decades. It's relevant well beyond Texas: this is a parasite worth understanding now, before it's a local concern.
Why it matters for goats: the larvae feed on living tissue, and they're drawn to open wounds and fresh tissue - newborn navels, post-kidding does, and any wound from routine procedures like disbudding, banding, or tagging. A wound as small as a tick bite can be enough.
The single most important thing: screwworm is a reportable disease. If you spot a suspicious wound, eggs at a wound's edges, or maggots, contact your veterinarian and state animal health officials immediately - don't treat it quietly.
And here's why that reporting matters: the US eradicated screwworm decades ago, and it's kept out by releasing sterile flies to wipe out any new population before it can spread. That response only works if cases are caught and reported quickly - a single missed case can let the fly re-establish and trigger an outbreak that affects the whole area. Reporting protects your herd and everyone else's.
We put together a plain-language guide covering the signs, high-risk situations, prevention, and how and when to report:
https://herdmanager.app/learn/health/new-world-screwworm-goats/
Check your animals, and stay safe out there.
