Colorado prepares for screwworms, as the pest that was eradicated in 1966 returns to the US

New World screwworm flies lay their eggs in the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. Ramdan Fatoni/iStock via Getty Images New World screwworm, a concerning pest that mainly impacts livestock and wildlife, was detected in South Texas in June 2026. It has since expanded northward in Texas, and there was one case in New Mexico as of July 23, 2026. The cases mark the return of a pest that was eradicated from the U.S. in 1966. As of July 23, there have not been any screwworm cases in Colorado.…