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6d ago

Screwworm Outbreak Reaches Nuevo León, Putting Texas Border on Alert

U.S. officials tie any livestock trade reopening to Mexico’s full compliance with movement controls, including daily trap checks.

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Cattle feed at a ranch that exports livestock to the U.S., in Zamora, northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)
The NWS, eradicated from the U.S. since 1966, has recently been detected in Mexico, prompting the suspension of live cattle, horse, and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border. Larvae cause severe and often fatal damage. (USDA)
Larvae of the screwworm fly, collected from infected cows, are observed at the COPEG sterile fly production plant, which fights the spread of the cattle screwworm, in Pacora, Panama, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun/File Photo

Overview

  • Mexico confirmed New World screwworm in an 8‑month‑old cow in Sabinas Hidalgo, the outbreak’s northernmost case less than 70 miles from Texas.
  • The animal was part of a 100‑head shipment moved from a southern region with active cases, with only one cow testing positive and others treated prophylactically.
  • U.S. ports remain closed to imports of cattle, bison, and horses from Mexico as nearly 8,000 traps and over 13,000 screening samples on the U.S. side have found no NWS flies.
  • Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins criticized Mexico over lax cattle‑movement controls and trap maintenance, saying border reopening hinges on full protocol compliance.
  • Texas escalated defenses with a new trapping plan across high‑risk zones, including El Paso and major port areas, while urging checks of pets and livestock and considering pesticide bait.