The Brooke Rollins Amateur Hour @USDA doesn't bode well for corralling screwworm outbreak

 

Graphic and headline:  KCBD Lubbock, 7/3/2026

AI-generated image of Brooke Rollins:  Manus 1.6 Lite

Berenice Garcia, Jayme Lozano Carver, Stephen Simpson, Hien An Ngo and Alex Ford report for The Texas Tribune:

On June 3, the New World screwworm was detected in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since then, the agency reported more screwworm infestations in Texas. 

The fly poses a multibillion-dollar crisis for the state’s cattle industry, which generates $41 billion a year. It could also increase already record-high beef prices nationwide. 

It’s unclear how many cases could hit Texas. Nearly 28,000 cases have been detected in Mexico since November 2024, according to Mexican officials.\ 

State and federal officials are working together to stop the northern migration, which they have tracked since 2023. In response to the cases, USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission have ramped up animal surveillance of animals near the confirmed detections by setting up zones around each infestation. Animals are not allowed to leave infested areas without being properly inspected.

Related posts:

July 2026

Screwworm tally in United States reaches 31.  (7/4)

June 16-30, 2026

Contemplating the spread of screwworm in the United States.  (6/22)

Eradication of screwworm becomes undone during Trump regime of sycophantic cabinet secretaries like Brooke Rollins @USDA.  (6/17)

Falling down on the job:  Brooke Rollins creates a disaster zone @USDA.  (6/16)\

June 1-15, 2026

Apparently, incompetent Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins spends too much time posing with chickens.  (6/15)
Donald Trump fumbles the ball in the effort to halt the spread of screwworm.  (6/14)

Screwworm update from The Texas Tribune.  (6/13)

Screwworm spreads in Texas while Trump fiddles and Brooke Rollins poses.  (6/8)

Texas screwworm:  Disaster in the office of Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.  (6/6)

Screwworm  has arrived in United States under the unwatchful eyes of Donald Trump and Brooke Rollins.  (6/8)

Jan-May 2026

Not suitable for reading on a full stomach.  (5/7)

New World Screwworm hitchhikes its way to the U.S.-Mexico border.  (4/29)

The fact that experts have to tell ranchers report, don't hide it is probably not a good sign.  (4/29)

Screwworm detected in Mexico less than 50 miles from United States border.  (1/21)

2025

New World screwworm:  Next stop, Laredo Texas.  (9/28)

New World screwworm double vision.  (8/8)

New World screwworm, not yet in United States, is already screwing us at the meat counter.  (7/31)

Are we ready for the New World screwworm?  (7/30)

In the news:  New World Screwworm.  (5/13)