Mexico has reported a case of a flesh-eating parasite in a new state — one that shares a border with the United States.
More than a year after Mexico’s first reported case of the New World screwworm, the deadly parasite has been discovered in a cow in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
Tamaulipas shares a long stretch of border with Texas. The United States closed the U.S.-Mexico border to cattle for much of 2025 in an effort to protect its herds from the parasite, which so far has not been reported in the United States.
The New World screwworm has largely been contained in southern Mexico, but there have been a few cases closer to the U.S. border. Mexico says this most recent case in a border state has only been detected in a single animal, a 6-day-old calf, and it is strengthening prevention measures in the area.
The United States eradicated the New World screwworm decades ago. The parasite mainly affects cattle but can burrow into the flesh of any warm-blooded animal.
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