New World Screwworm California entry requirements took effect June 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, when the California Department of Food and Agriculture added rules for animals entering the state from affected areas. The same CDFA notice states there are no confirmed detections of the parasite in California. The "flesh-eating parasite" headlines are about a livestock-movement rule, not a local outbreak.
What the Screwworm Entry Requirements Cover
The CDFA rule applies to animals moving into California from areas where New World Screwworm has been confirmed. CDFA says those animals now need a premovement inspection within five days and an Electronic Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that carries an NWS statement. The agency confirmed again on June 8, 2026, that there are no confirmed detections of the parasite in California. For Temecula Valley, the practical audience is narrow: ranch, horse, goat, sheep, cattle, and veterinary households that trailer animals into California from affected regions. Everyone else is reading a paperwork update, not an alert about a local backyard outbreak.
Where the Cases Are and the Human Risk
USDA confirmed the first U.S. animal case of this outbreak in Texas on June 3, 2026, according to the CDC, and the CDC reports no locally acquired human infestations in the United States. CDFA's animal health page later listed confirmed animal cases in Texas and New Mexico. CDFA notes the larvae feed on living tissue and infest open wounds of warm-blooded animals, including livestock, wildlife, and in rare cases humans, and can be fatal if untreated. The threat drawing attention is economic: UC Riverside has flagged the risk to California's dairy and cattle industries and notes USDA has been releasing sterile screwworm flies across the affected region as the primary area-wide control method.
