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This morning, after going dormant for decades, a flesheating parasite found in Texas cattle is raising alarms across the country. Federal and state officials are moving quickly to contain the new world screw worm, which can kill livestock and threaten herds. Officials warn if the outbreak spreads, ranchers could take a major hit and you could see higher prices for beef at the grocery store. National news deskar joining us live from Capitol Hill with the latest on this. This is not good. It's gross. It's uh dangerous. It's a nightmare for ranchers and farmers. So, it's called New World Screworm. Technically, it's a parasitic fly. Uh but its maggots feed on the tissue or flesh of warm-blooded
animals and sometimes people, too. As of now, the USDA is reporting six active cases. Four cattle and a goat in Texas and a dog in New Mexico. All of this detected in the past week and they update their numbers every day at noon Eastern. Now, because screw worms don't spread through meat or dairy products, officials stress for consumers this is not a food safety issue. It's a food production issue, and it's coming at the worst possible time. US cattle inventory is at a 75-year low per USDA. And in the past year, we don't have to tell folks at home, they know this, at the grocery store, beef prices have just skyrocketed, up almost 15% just from the past year. And since early 2020, get this, they're up 77%.
The screw is potentially a compromise to our food supply system. If we have a big screw infestation, which we will not, we are on top of it, but that's the challenge. If we're not ready for it, then that could very much compromise our beef cattle industry. Now, the last time the US saw a major screw screworm outbreak in livestock was 1976. Actually, also in Texas and according to USDA, it cost the state's economy what today adjusted for inflation would be $1.8 billion. On Capitol Hill, I'm at Dashar for the National News Desk.
