The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reported that it received confirmation on Oct. 21, 2026, of New World screwworm in a hunter-harvested female elk in Pecos County. The department is urging hunters to inspect harvested animals before field dressing or moving their carcasses and to report suspected infestations immediately.
A sample collected from the elk was identified and confirmed as New World screwworm at the ARS Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville, according to TPWD.
The department said the Texas Animal Health Commission will modify a previously established infested zone. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and TPWD are conducting additional wildlife surveillance in the area.
Alan Cain, TPWD Wildlife Division director, credited cooperation between department biologists, hunters and landowners with speeding identification and confirmation of the detection. He encouraged hunters and landowners to watch for signs of infestation in the field.
What hunters should check
TPWD recommends that hunters watch for animals showing irritated or depressed behavior, loss of appetite, head shaking, isolation from other animals or people, the smell of decaying flesh, or fly larvae, also called maggots, in wounds.
After harvesting an animal, hunters should inspect its eyes, ears, nose, mouth, genitalia and other mucous membranes. The department also recommends running hands along the animal’s body and checking its feet and between its toes for wounds that may have a foul smell or contain maggots.
TPWD provides a video demonstrating how to inspect a harvested animal for New World screwworm and a New World Screwworm Guide for Hunters and Landowners.
How to report suspected cases
TPWD urges immediate reporting of all suspected and confirmed cases. Anyone who suspects an infestation in a wild animal should contact a local TPWD wildlife biologist or call 512-389-4505.
Suspected cases in livestock and companion animals should be reported to a Texas Animal Health Commission regional office or the commission’s veterinarian on call at 800-550-8242. Additional information is available through the state’s New World screwworm resource page.
Based on a news release from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Read the original TPWD release: New World Screwworm Detected in Hunter-Harvested Elk in Pecos County.
