Second Screwworm Detection 120 Miles from U.S. Border

There was a new detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico, approximately 120 miles south of the Texas border.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the case in a 22-month-old bovine transported from Veracruz to a feedlot in Nuevo León.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in a press release emphasized that Texas remains free from detection, but that state officials and agriculture leaders cannot be complacent.

“We will keep working shoulder to shoulder with USDA, Mexican animal health authorities, and our own state agency partners to defend our border and Texans from this dangerous threat. We will protect our livestock, safeguard our economy, and do everything possible to keep the New World screwworm at bay,” Miller says.

He also encourages Texas producers to remain watchful for suspicious wounds, unhealed tissue, or maggot activity in livestock, wildlife, and pets, particularly in locations near the border.

Producers who suspect NWS should immediately contact their local veterinarian and state authorities. Early detection, strict livestock movement controls, screwworm fly suppression and rapid response are the best tools to combat this serious threat.

This detection marks the northernmost active case currently found in Mexico. It is also the second detection at the same Nuevo León feedlot since October. No additional cases were linked to the October detection, and both events appear tied to livestock movements from southern Mexico.

For more on NWS, including a current list of NWS detections within 400 miles of the U.S. visit Screwworm.gov.

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