A recent report highlighted USDA’s ongoing response to a New World Screwworm detection in northern Mexico and the measures being taken to protect the U.S. livestock industry from the destructive pest.
According to USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins, the New World Screwworm was recently detected in a five-year-old goat in Coahuila, Mexico, approximately 25 miles from the U.S. southern border. The discovery has prompted an immediate response from USDA and its partners as they work to prevent the pest from entering the United States.
New World Screwworm Detection Prompts USDA Action
Hoskins emphasized that while the situation is serious, there are several misconceptions about the pest that need to be addressed.
“While we are working around the clock to keep this parasitic pest out of the United States, I want to be clear about what the screwworm is not,” Hoskins said.
He explained that the New World Screwworm is not contagious and does not spread directly between animals and people or from person to person. In addition, it does not pose a food safety risk to consumers.
“The screwworm is not contagious. It does not spread directly from animals to people or from person to person, and the screwworm does not pose a food safety risk,” Hoskins said. “It spreads only when a screwworm flies or lays eggs in a wound, not through meat, poultry or dairy products.”
Protecting the U.S. Livestock Industry from New World Screwworm
Despite those assurances, USDA officials remain highly concerned about the potential economic and animal health impacts that could occur if the pest were to become established in the United States. The larvae feed on living tissue, making infestations particularly damaging to livestock and other animals.
Hoskins noted that USDA moved quickly after the detection was confirmed.
“That is why, following the confirmation of the 25-mile detection in Coahuila, the Secretary immediately deployed an APHIS Strike team to south Texas,” he said.
The strike team is currently working alongside the Texas Animal Health Commission and other partners as part of a unified incident management effort. USDA officials say they will continue adjusting resources and response activities based on the latest information and conditions on the ground.
The detection serves as a reminder of the importance of surveillance, rapid response and cross-border cooperation in protecting U.S. agriculture from foreign animal pests.
Hear directly from USDA Undersecretary Dudley Hoskins as he joins AgNet West’s Lorrie Boyer to discuss the New World Screwworm threat and ongoing response efforts.