New World Screwworm spreads to second U.S. state as officials confirm thousands of people infected worldwide | 8 June 2026 | The flesh-eating parasites that burrow into the living tissue of their victims have spread beyond Texas and are now moving through a second US state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the first case of New World screwworms in New Mexico, raising the total number of cases in the U.S. to five. Officials said the parasites were discovered in a dog which lives in Lea County, New Mexico, which sits right along the state’s eastern border with Texas. The New World Screwworm (NWS) lays hundreds of larvae in the wounds of animals and people, which hatch within hours and start consuming the victim’s flesh. Four cases have already been reported in Texas over the last week after the parasites were feared to be moving north from Mexico in 2025.