CDC Activates Emergency Operation Center Over Screwworm Outbreak

“The CDC is just one more step in the right direction that allows us to deploy more resources at the federal level,” Rollins told reporters in Texas.

The USDA is tracking confirmed animal infestations through a public dashboard as officials monitor the spread of the pest.

New World screwworm primarily threatens livestock, pets, and wildlife. The parasite develops when screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds or body openings, allowing larvae to feed on living tissue.

While human infections are possible, no cases have been reported in the United States, and federal officials continue to assess the risk to the public as low.

Health officials emphasized that New World screwworm is not contagious and cannot spread directly between animals, from animals to humans, or from person to person.

Instead, infections occur only through exposure to screwworm flies in affected areas, noted the CDC.