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Samples from Texas calves tested for possible screwworm, rattling markets: Reuters

Cnbc · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 441 words · By WATCH LIVE
Agricultural Biosecurity Economic Impact on Cattle Industry US-Mexico Border Health Risks
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Samples of an unconfirmed infestation of the flesh-eating screwworm parasite on a cattle ranch in La Pryor, Texas, have been sent to a federal government lab in Iowa to be tested, Texas Representative Don McLaughlin said Wednesday.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Samples of an unconfirmed infestation of the flesh-eating screwworm parasite on a cattle ranch in La Pryor, Texas, have been sent to a federal government lab in Iowa to be tested, Texas Representative Don McLaughlin said Wednesday.

Why it matters

The samples were taken from two calves on the same ranch on Tuesday, McLaughlin said, adding that he had seen photos and videos of the animals.

Common ground

Widespread market chatter about the suspected case hung over cattle futures, which traders said have long been sensitive to threats of New World screwworm.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/03/samples-from-texas-calves-tested-for-possible-sc…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7
schedule Pending 1
verified Verified 1
info Single Source 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
schedule
Claim 1: “The United States has spent millions of dollars to slow its advance through Mexico, investing in sterile fly production facilities, expanding trapping efforts and increasing livestock surveillance.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 2: “An outbreak of screwworm in the U.S. could cause $1.8 billion in damage to Texas' economy alone”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources cite a USDA estimate stating an outbreak could cause $1.8 billion in damage to the Texas economy.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The first case of New World screwworm in 60 years has been confirmed in South Texas, near the Mexican border.However, an outbreak of screwworm threatens to do $1.8 billion in damage to Texas’ economy …
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/04/screwworm-texas-unit…
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web search NEUTRAL — Historical Economic Impact Estimates of New World Screwworm in the United States.The results of adjusting for inflation indicate that an NWS outbreak roughly the scale of the 1976 outbreak could cost …
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/nws-historica…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A USDA estimate warns that a screwworm outbreak could inflict $1.8 billion in damage to Texas’ economy alone, with broader implications for already record-high beef prices nationwide.
https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2026/06/05/new-world-sc…
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Claim 3: “Once the eggs hatch, hundreds of screwworm larvae use their sharp mouths to burrow through living flesh, eventually killing their host if left untreated.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (India Today, and other news reports) describe the larvae using sharp mouths to burrow through living flesh and potentially killing the host if untreated.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Screwworms are parasitic flies whose females lay eggs in open wounds and mucous membranes of living warm-blooded animals and people. When the eggs hatch, hundreds of larvae burrow through living flesh…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7v9vz1gd76o
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Screwworms are parasitic flies whose females lay eggs in wounds on any warm-blooded animal. Once the eggs hatch, hundreds of screwworm larvae use their sharp mouths to burrow through living flesh, eve…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/571019/us-confirms-nation-s…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Once the eggs hatch, hundreds of screwworm larvae use their sharp mouths to burrow through living flesh, eventually killing their host if left untreated.comment.Mexico has also taken efforts to limit …
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/first-human-case-flesh…
verified
Claim 4: “"NWS is not currently present in the United States," the agency's website said Wednesday.”
VERIFIED
The official government website (Screwworm.gov) explicitly states: 'Screwworm is not currently present in the United States'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the 26 U.S. representatives from the State of New York, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections will coincide with ot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Re…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Manhattan is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy, among other nicknames) is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “Screwworms are parasitic flies whose females lay eggs in wounds on any warm-blooded animal.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that female screwworms lay eggs in open wounds or mucous membranes of warm-blooded animals.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 10, 2026 ... --Instead, adult screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds, sores, or mucous membranes of any warm- blooded host. --If a human is infested, the ...
https://www.facebook.com/KLFYTV10/posts/while-the-screwworm-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 8, 2026 ... Females lay eggs in open wounds or body openings of warm-blooded animals, and when the eggs hatch, the larvae (maggots) burrow in and feed ...
https://cvm.ncsu.edu/news/new-world-screwworm-in-the-u-s-wha…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Female flies lay their eggs at the edges of wounds or on mucous membranes ... All warm-blooded animals can be infested by screwworms, though these.
https://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/screwworm_myia…
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Claim 6: “The samples were taken from two calves on the same ranch on Tuesday”
CORROBORATED
CNBC and Reuters both explicitly state that samples were taken from two calves on the same ranch on Tuesday.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 3, 2026 ... ... cattle ranch in Texas have been sent to a federal government lab ... The samples were taken from two calves on the same ranch on Tuesday ...
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/03/samples-from-texas-calves-te…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 4, 2026 ... New World Screwworm has been confirmed in the U.S. A 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas (near the U.S.- Mexico border) tested positive. This may ...
https://www.facebook.com/100053149454347/posts/new-world-scr…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 3, 2026 ... According to Reuters, samples from two calves on a ranch near La Pryor, Texas, were collected Tuesday and submitted to a federal laboratory in ...
https://westernagnetwork.com/usda-confirms-new-world-screwwo…
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Claim 7: “The USDA confirmed a case 25 miles south of the Texas border in Coahuila state on Tuesday.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm that the USDA detected a New World screwworm in Mexico just 25 miles from the U.S. border.
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Claim 8: “The parasite has been moving north through Mexico for more than a year.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (FOX 9, Reuters, and other web results) confirm that the New World screwworm has been moving northward through Central America and Mexico in recent years.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Albuquerque is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque by Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, and named in honor of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New Mexico is a landlocked state in the Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of New Mexico (UNM; Spanish: Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legis…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_New_Mexico
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 9: “The Texas Animal Health Commission told Reuters on Wednesday that there has been no confirmed case of New World screwworm in Texas.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the Texas Animal Health Commission is a verified agency, the specific statement made to Reuters on Wednesday is not corroborated by other independent news sources in the provided evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — TAHC may refer to: Terrestrial Animal Health Code Texas Animal Health Commission tahc.ai - hybrid chat platform
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAHC
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is a state agency of Texas. Its headquarters are located at 2105 Kramer Lane, in Austin, Texas. The commission exists to help protect the health of livestock …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Animal_Health_Commission
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is an agency within the Texas Health and Human Services System. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) was created in 1991 by Gover…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Health_and_Human_Service…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 10: “Washington has kept its border closed to cattle imports for more than a year in an effort to prevent the destructive parasite from reaching U.S. border states.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the U.S. government closing the border specifically to cattle imports for over a year.
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Claim 11: “Samples of an unconfirmed infestation of the flesh-eating screwworm parasite on a cattle ranch in La Pryor, Texas, have been sent to a federal government lab in Iowa to be tested”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (CNBC, Reuters via USDA report) confirm that samples from a ranch in La Pryor, Texas, were sent to a federal lab for testing.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This article contains opinion polling by U.S. state for the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries. For currency and accuracy, please note the specific dates for each polling as listed below. Fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statewide_opinion_polling_for_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — USA Today named its first All-USA High School Football Team in 1982. The newspaper has named a team every year since 1982. In addition, two members of the team are named the USA Today High School Offe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today_All-USA_High_School_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — USA Today named its first All-USA High School Football Team in 1982. The newspaper has named a team every year since 1982. In addition, two members of the team are named the USA Today High School Offe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today_All-USA_High_School_…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.