Gauging worms in cattle and how a screwworm outbreak could change gut parasites
Official title: Assessing gastrointestinal nematode diversity in cattle in the southern United States in the New World Screwworm incursion context
Funded at Texas A&m Agrilife Research · NIH-11529088 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will study gut worm communities in Texas beef cattle to see how a screwworm outbreak might change which worms are present and how they respond to common parasite drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m Agrilife Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $147,935 |
| NIH project number | 1U18FD008936-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11529088 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Beef cattle populations in Texas, representing diverse regions and farming practices.
✕Less likely to help
Ranches or operations that do not rely on gut worm control or do not use macrocyclic lactones may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project collects about 2,400 cattle fecal samples from across Texas in 2026 and 2027 to map gut parasite diversity using advanced DNA techniques. It looks at how parasite communities shift with geography, animal factors, and the use of parasite medicines as the screwworm situation evolves. The researchers will apply statistical models to understand how year, place, and animal demographics influence which worm species dominate and whether drug resistance patterns emerge. The findings will help guide safe and effective use of endectocides to protect cattle health and farm productivity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform targeted parasite-management guidelines and regulatory decisions to protect cattle health and reduce economic losses.
How similar studies have gone: Previous parasite-surveillance studies using DNA-based methods have successfully characterized gut worm communities in livestock.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m Agrilife Research
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gomes Verocai, Guilherme — Texas A&m Agrilife Research
- Study coordinator: Gomes Verocai, Guilherme
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.