Trump Admin Moves to Protect Livestock From Screwworm Infestation

The Trump administration is taking preemptive efforts to combat an American infestation of the New World screwworm.

The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday permitted the Food and Drug Administration to issue so-called emergency use authorizations for drugs for animals to treat or prevent the parasitic flies. 

“Today, we are taking decisive action to safeguard the nation’s food supply from this emerging threat,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.

“This authorization equips FDA to act quickly, limit the spread of New World screwworm, and protect America’s livestock,” the Department of Health and Human Services secretary added. 

Screwworms are the fly larvae (maggots) of Cochliomyia hominivorax, which burrow into animals such as livestock, wildlife, and pets to feast on flesh. The species gets its nickname from how it burrows as a screw moves into wood. Myiasis is the name for the painful condition that results from a screwworm infestation in a human host. Screwworms can cause severe tissue damage, and in some cases even death. 

“Our priority is to safeguard both animal health and the nation’s food supply. FDA is acting swiftly and responsibly to help ensure we have the necessary tools to prevent and control New World screwworm, minimizing risks to agriculture and public health,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement. 

The New World screwworm is prevalent in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, as well as in some South American countries. It has recently been found near the U.S. border with Mexico, which prompted the Trump administration to stop livestock imports from Mexico through the U.S.’ southern ports in May.

The pest was systemically eliminated in the United States through the use of sterilized male flies whose controlled mating gradually eliminates the population. The U.S. employed this technique to virtually eliminate screwworm from the boundaries of America in 1966, but the parasites still pose a large risk to livestock. In 1976, for example, there was an outbreak of the disease in Texas that cost the economy $1.8 billion in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. 

“Thank you to my friends and partners Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary, who are answering the call and supporting our aggressive plan to push back and ultimately defeat this devastating pest. This emergency use authorization is another tool we can use in the fight against New World screwworm,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins explained.

Our cattle ranchers and livestock producers are relying on the Trump administration to defend their livelihoods. Stopping this pest is a national security priority, and we are linking arms across President [Donald] Trump’s Cabinet to defend our borders and push back this threat,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture chief said.

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