# How the US was left exposed to the flesh-eating screwworm, years into the outbreak

> The New World screwworm spread from Panama through Mexico and into the United States after sterile-fly production failed to keep pace with the outbreak. Mexico and Panama now produce about 150 million sterile flies a week, well below the 500 million weekly used during the 1960s eradication campaign; the shortage contributed to a US closure of the Mexican cattle border starting in May 2025, and cases have since been confirmed in US cattle.

- Date: 2026-11-09 · published 2026-11-09T12:16:18.331Z
- Category: disease · region United States and Mexico · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/89422-how-the-us-was-left-exposed-to-the-flesh-eating-screwworm-years-into-the
- Commodities: [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md), [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Screwworm cases and cattle-import restrictions can reduce the supply of cattle available to US buyers and disrupt cross-border flows, supporting US cattle prices. Continued limits on sterile-fly capacity raise the risk of further disruption.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FCATTLE | 2026-07-19 | [What the U.S. can learn from Mexico's handling of the screwworm outbreak - VPM](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18298-what-the-u-s-can-learn-from-mexico-s-handling-of-the-screwworm-outbreak-vpm.md) | -0.2% | -1.5% |
| FCATTLE | 2024-11-29 | [Mexico’s Screwworm Outbreak Delays Mexican Cattle Exports Into the US Until After the First of the Year - Oklahoma Farm Report](https://feedsoft.ai/events/27349-mexico-s-screwworm-outbreak-delays-mexican-cattle-exports-into-the-us-until.md) | -1.5% | +1.0% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-07-19 | [What the U.S. can learn from Mexico's handling of the screwworm outbreak - VPM](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18298-what-the-u-s-can-learn-from-mexico-s-handling-of-the-screwworm-outbreak-vpm.md) | -1.4% | -2.8% |
| 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% |

## Sources

- devdiscourse.com: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/4003884-insight-how-the-us-was-left-exposed-to-the-flesh-eating-screwworm-years-into-the-outbreak
- internazionale.it: https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/11/09/how-the-us-was-left-exposed-to-the-flesh-eating-screwworm-years-into-the-outbreak
- straitstimes.com: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/how-the-us-was-left-exposed-to-the-flesh-eating-screwworm-years-into-the-outbreak

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