The New World screwworm has been confirmed in a dog in Lea County, New Mexico, making it the first companion animal case in the current US outbreak and the first detection in the state.
Nevada dog owners, especially those planning summer road trips through the Southwest, should know what to watch for.
The US Department of Agriculture confirmed the New Mexico case on June 8, 2026, bringing the total US detections to five cases in six days across Texas and New Mexico.
The dog’s recent travel and exposure history remained unknown as of that date, and federal officials said the case is believed to be isolated, but investigations are ongoing.
The New World screwworm is a fly whose larval stage burrows into the living flesh of warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, and livestock. Left untreated, infestations can be fatal.
The New Mexico case was located more than 400 miles from the initial detections in Zavala County, Texas, raising concern that confirmed cases may represent only a fraction of actual infestations.
“The likelihood is that we have potentially hundreds to thousands of these flies here already,” parasitologist Christopher Lee, DVM, told dvm360.
Dog owners in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are being urged to check their animals daily for wounds that appear to be worsening, draining, painful, or infested with larvae.
Isoxazoline-based parasite prevention products, including many commonly prescribed for flea and tick control, offer some protection for dogs.
If you find larvae in a wound or suspect an infestation, contact your veterinarian immediately and do not attempt to remove the larvae yourself.
A veterinarian can collect a sample and submit it to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories for confirmation.
Nevada is not in an affected zone, but the outbreak’s rapid spread from Texas into New Mexico is a reminder that the desert Southwest is not as far from Las Vegas as it may seem.
Dog owners who hike or travel in Arizona and New Mexico this summer should check their dogs carefully after any outdoor activity, particularly around the ears, eyes, nose, and any pre-existing injuries.
The USDA has activated a unified incident command with 75 personnel on the ground and has begun aerial releases of sterile flies near detection zones to suppress the outbreak.
Veterinary experts caution that re-eradication could take years, not months.
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