Flesh-eating maggot outbreak puts Trump administration response under scrutiny

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Democracy Dies in Darkness

The New World screwworm spread from southern Mexico to Texas in two years when the administration cut staff and funding.

June 19, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDTToday at 5:00 a.m. EDT

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins holds a news conference with ranchers, researchers and officials at the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville, Texas, on Monday. (Eric Gay/AP)

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When health authorities found New World screwworm in a Maryland resident last August, alarmed beef industry leaders rushed to assess how to limit the market impact of a flesh-eating parasite best known for infesting cattle and other livestock, emails obtained by The Washington Post show — conversations that began six days before the U.S. Department of Agriculture publicly disclosed the case.

What readers are saying

The comments express strong criticism of the Trump administration's handling of a screwworm outbreak affecting livestock in Texas and New Mexico. Many commenters blame the administration's budget cuts, staffing reductions, and perceived incompetence for exacerbating the crisis.... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.

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