USDA confirms the case after laboratory testing as state officials work with a local veterinarian to investigate and treat the infection.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of the New World screwworm in the state of Arizona. This is the 3rd U.S. state to confirm the parasite during the current outbreak, with other cases confirmed in New Mexico and Texas. A local veterinarian discovered the Arizona case in a wound on a dog’s back in Cochise County.
The Arizona Department of Agriculture announced it was working with the veterinarian, as well as the dog’s owner, to help gather information about the infection and guide an epidemiological investigation. Arizona’s state veterinarian Dr. Ryan Wolker stated that “we have been preparing for this possibility for a long while and are acting swiftly.”
The USDA reported that seventy-one cases of New World screwworm have been detected in the U.S. since June 2026, with 18 remaining active cases at the end of October.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For USDA personnel as they support state agriculture departments as they work to mitigate the spread of the parasite.
- For Secretary Rollins as she heads the USDA’s efforts to eliminate the New World Screwworm.
- For state officials as they address confirmed cases of the parasite.
Sources: UPI News, MSN, Newsweek
