U.S. and Mexican authorities reported a new case of New World screwworm in a calf in a Mexican state bordering Texas, marking the northernmost active detection.
USDA confirmed April 10 that a 7-day-old calf was detected with the pest in the Mexican state of Nuevo León. The last detection of the screwworm in a bovine in the state was in November.
An 11-year-old dog was also recently detected with the pest on April 9 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, which is less than 100 miles south of the Texas border.
USDA is conducting aerial dispersal of sterile flies in the area and said it continues to disperse 100 million sterile insects per week in Mexico.
As of April 14, Mexico reported nearly 1,300 active cases in animals, with 742 cases in bovine. Most cases have been detected in the central and southern areas of the country.
In a Facebook post, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service cleared up speculation about resuming livestock imports from Mexico, saying a report from a state official in Mexico incorrectly claimed USDA has set a date to resume imports.
“USDA will resume livestock imports only when we determine that the risk of New World screwworm introduction into the United States can be adequately mitigated,” the agency said.
Before reopening the border, USDA said it is evaluating its science-based import protocol, the animal health status of individual Mexican states and the degree to which Mexico’s national agriculture authority has made progress in implementing USDA recommendations.
“We remain committed to a cautious, evidence driven process that protects U.S. livestock and the broader agricultural economy,” the agency said.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called on Texas producers to be on high alert, checking their animals and reporting anything unusual.
“The New World screwworm is not some distant problem,” Miller said. “It is a direct and imminent threat to Texas, and we are treating it that way.”
Miller said the state is fully engaged and prepared to escalate all its available tools to stop the pest.
“We are working with our federal, state, and local partners, but it is clear that more must be done to stop the spread at the source,” he said.
On April 13, Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) led a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, requesting a formal briefing to the House Agriculture Committee on the status of USDA’s efforts against the New World screwworm and an update on the status of the sterile fly production and dispersal facilities in Texas.
“Instead of undermining U.S. ranchers by importing foreign beef, USDA must do everything it can to improve, strengthen, and protect domestic herds,” the letter read.
Six other Democratic representatives signed the letter, representing California, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota and Nevada. — Anna Miller Fortozo, WLJ managing editor
