A flesh-eating parasite that the United States eradicated in 1966 has returned — and the 16 confirmed animal cases represent only the beginning of what veterinary experts and public health officials are working to contain.
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the first U.S. animal case on June 3, 2026, in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, near the Mexico border. By the CDC's most current accounting, 16 domestically acquired animal cases have been confirmed — spread across multiple Texas counties and Lea County, New Mexico, involving cattle, goats, and at least one dog.