Texas agriculture officials are urging heightened vigilance after Mexico in mid-January confirmed eight new cases of New World screwworm in Tamaulipas, bringing the total since late December to 11.
The detections, reported by Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Public Health, Safety, and Quality, concern Texas regulators because no evidence shows the affected animals moved from outside the region, raising the possibility the pest is now spreading naturally along the border.
The Texas Department of Agriculture is coordinating with USDA and animal health partners while activating an expanded trapping program at ports of entry, livestock export facilities and other high-risk locations.
“Producers should be checking livestock every day and treating any wound as a potential entry point,” Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. He urged close attention to young animals, immediate isolation of suspicious cases and rapid reporting. Early detection and aggressive surveillance, officials warn, remain the first line of defense against a costly, fast-moving threat to Texas livestock.
