# Flesh-eating screwworms head for American livestock • Stateline

> Southern states are preparing for a possible New World screwworm invasion, which has so far not reached the US but is spreading in Mexico and Central America. The federal government has banned live cattle imports from Mexico and is building a $750 million sterile fly facility. Ground beef averaged $6.90 per pound this month, a record high.

- Date: 2026-05-28 · published 2026-05-28T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/19201-flesh-eating-screwworms-head-for-american-livestock-stateline
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Live cattle import bans and the risk of a domestic outbreak tighten US cattle supply, supporting cattle futures and beef prices.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2017-01-15 | [Flesh-Eating Screwworms Reach Florida's Mainland  - The Atlantic](https://feedsoft.ai/events/72945-flesh-eating-screwworms-reach-florida-s-mainland-the-atlantic.md) | +1.2% | -0.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-08-15 | [In Texas cattle country, ranchers brace for flesh-eating screwworms \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23280-in-texas-cattle-country-ranchers-brace-for-flesh-eating-screwworms-reuters.md) | +1.1% | -0.1% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-06-02 | [How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24157-how-flesh-eating-screwworms-in-cattle-could-raise-us-beef-prices-reuters.md) | +3.1% | +3.0% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-08-15 | [USDA to build Texas facility to fight flesh-eating screwworms \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23282-usda-to-build-texas-facility-to-fight-flesh-eating-screwworms-reuters.md) | +1.1% | -0.1% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-07-10 | [US again halts cattle imports from Mexico over flesh-eating screwworms \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23700-us-again-halts-cattle-imports-from-mexico-over-flesh-eating-screwworms-reuters.md) | +2.6% | +6.8% |
| FCATTLE | 2017-01-15 | [Flesh-Eating Screwworms Reach Florida's Mainland  - The Atlantic](https://feedsoft.ai/events/72945-flesh-eating-screwworms-reach-florida-s-mainland-the-atlantic.md) | +1.8% | -6.6% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-06-02 | [How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24157-how-flesh-eating-screwworms-in-cattle-could-raise-us-beef-prices-reuters.md) | +3.8% | +4.0% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-08-15 | [USDA to build Texas facility to fight flesh-eating screwworms \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23282-usda-to-build-texas-facility-to-fight-flesh-eating-screwworms-reuters.md) | +4.7% | +2.9% |

## Sources

- stateline.org: https://stateline.org/2026/05/28/flesh-eating-screwworms-head-for-american-livestock/

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.