# How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices | Reuters

> New World screwworm was confirmed in a Texas calf, showing the parasite moved north from Central America through Mexico despite barriers that had held it back for decades. The U.S. cattle herd is already at a multi-decade low and record-high beef prices have been driven by the closure of the border to Mexican cattle. The first U.S. case in this outbreak is a serious challenge for ranchers.

- Date: 2025-06-02 · published 2025-06-02T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/24157-how-flesh-eating-screwworms-in-cattle-could-raise-us-beef-prices-reuters
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Confirmed domestic spread threatens further supply disruption in an already tight cattle herd, supporting higher live and feeder cattle prices and reinforcing feed demand from feedlots.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2025-06-09 | 5 | +3.9% | 2.9 | The first US screwworm case in a Texas calf (June 2) heightens supply fears on an already low herd and a closed Mexican border, supporting bullish sentiment. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 2025-07-10 | [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% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-06-04 | [US screwworm case puts ranchers on alert, rallies cattle prices By Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12084-us-screwworm-case-puts-ranchers-on-alert-rallies-cattle-prices-by-reuters.md) | +0.6% | -1.0% |
| 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 | 2026-05-29 | [Flesh-eating screwworm found within 31 miles of US border, says USDA \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19199-flesh-eating-screwworm-found-within-31-miles-of-us-border-says-usda-reuters.md) | -0.8% | +1.4% |
| FCATTLE | 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) | +1.6% | +7.7% |
| FCATTLE | 2026-06-04 | [US screwworm case puts ranchers on alert, rallies cattle prices By Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12084-us-screwworm-case-puts-ranchers-on-alert-rallies-cattle-prices-by-reuters.md) | +3.4% | +5.3% |
| 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

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/how-flesh-eating-screwworms-cattle-could-raise-us-beef-prices-2026-06-04/

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