Screwworm Hits US Pets: Should India Worry?

A wound on the canine's back was heavily infested with maggots.That one line, from an Arizona wildlife department notice dated 29 October 2026, sums up why pet owners in the US are suddenly paying attention to a pest most had never heard of.

The pest is the New World screwworm. Until recently, it was mostly a worry for cattle ranchers. In the last week of October, it moved firmly into pet homes.

Within a few days in late October, the US Department of Agriculture confirmed five new screwworm cases, and all five were pets. Four were dogs, in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The fifth was a domestic cat in New Mexico. According to CIDRAP, the infectious disease news centre at the University of Minnesota, that is the first cat case of the current US outbreak.

The cat lived between Silver City and Mimbres in Grant County, New Mexico. It had been attacked by another animal. When a vet cleaned the wound, screwworm larvae were found, the Silver City Daily Press reported.

In Arizona, a local vet examined a dog in Cochise County on the evening of 26 October and found the infested wound. The USDA confirmed it on 28 October. It was Arizona's first case. The dog is under veterinary care.

Most fly maggots feed on dead tissue. Screwworm larvae feed on living flesh.

The adult fly lays its eggs in open wounds, or in moist body openings like the nose, eyes or genitals of warm-blooded animals. The larvae feed on the wound when the eggs hatch. Without treatment, an infestation can kill.

On 3 June 2026, Texas recorded the first case of an infection in the United States in 60 years.

After the most recent pet detections, CIDRAP reported a total of 71 cases across the country, including nine in dogs.

Most cases have been in cattle and sheep in Texas and New Mexico.

Thirty days later, only New Mexico reported 14 cases of which three were dogs and one was a cat.

Around the Arizona case, the USDA set up a 20-km infested zone with animal movement controls. It is also increasing trapping and releasing sterile flies, which mate but produce no young, to shrink the fly population.

Pets can get help as well. In September, the US FDA gave emergency authorisation to Capstar for screwworm in dogs and cats, and widened an earlier authorisation for generic nitenpyram tablets to include prevention. Despite all this, the FDA states that an infected pet should still see a veterinarian — as a tablet won't clean a wound.

Officials are still investigating how the Arizona dog became infested. It is also unclear how far north the fly will spread before winter.

The US outbreak is the New World species, and it has not been reported in India. However, India has its own relative, the Old World screwworm Chrysomya bezziana and maggot wounds are common in dogs seen by vets here.

A study on canine myiasis in India, from Punjab, found Chrysomya bezziana in 90.8% of 153 pet-dog cases, with infestations highest in the rainy season. A Chennai survey also found it to be the main species in maggot wounds.

So the lesson travels well. Any open wound on a dog or cat, especially one that is not healing, can attract flies.

US officials ask owners to check animals daily for:

For Indian homes, here are the habits to consider:

Routine parasite care helps your pet stay healthy overall. For timing, see our deworming schedule for dogs and cats. (https://zaanvar.com/dog/deworming-schedule-for-dogs-and-cats-a-complete-guide/8329/)  And many of those wounds that may occur on the street are caused by dog bites, so read why [World Rabies Day 2026](https://zaanvar.com/dog/world-rabies-day-2026-28-september-theme-why-it-matters/8464/) still matters to every pet family.

The US home cat with a wound that has a screw worm can feel far away. The warning is a simple one, and a local one: A small wound can turn into a big problem in a matter of hours if the flies find it first. Check your pet's skin every day, take care of any wounds early, and let a vet deal with anything that moves.