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US NWS Case Causes Reaction 06/04 17:46
Texas Ranchers Brace as New World Screwworm Returns to US Soil After 6
Decades
A confirmed New World screwworm case in a south Texas calf has prompted
urgent surveillance and response efforts from USDA, state agencies and cattle
organizations. Officials stress this poses no food safety risk, urging
producers to monitor livestock and report suspicious cases immediately.
Jennifer Carrico
DTN Senior Livestock Editor
REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- The news of a confirmed case of New World screwworm
in a 3-week-old beef calf in south Texas on Wednesday provides concern across
the agricultural industry.
Cattle rancher Benton England, of Mercedes, Texas, told DTN there is likely
to be some panic, but resiliency is what gets ranchers through adversity.
"We're ranchers. We'll figure it out and overcome it!" he said. England raises
Brahman cattle in south Texas, about 11 miles from the Mexican border.
England and his family have discussed what actions should be taken on their
ranch if they were to suspect a case. "We must be very aware of what's going on
with our animals to stop the movement of screwworm. Doctoring anything that
needs it to prevent an infestation and especially be careful with newborn
calves," he said. "We can't afford to have this problem affect our beef
industry like it has across the border in Mexico."
CLOSE SURVEILLANCE CONTINUES
During a Thursday USDA press call, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke
Rollins said only the one case has been confirmed, but through surveillance of
the local area, a couple more are being investigated, but don't show the
severity or likelihood of the first one.
Bud Dinges, executive director of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC),
said his staff, along with that of USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS), have visited the farm near La Pryor. "The infected calf is
doing much better. We looked at the cattle on the premises there and didn't
find any other infested animals," he said. "From our investigation, there is no
evidence of a recent movement of animals onto or off of the premises."
BEEF ORGANIZATIONS WEIGH IN
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) President Stephen
Diebel said in a statement that while this is a serious animal health threat,
it is not a food safety issue, and ranchers and landowners should not panic.
"For the past 18 months, we have worked alongside our state and federal
partners to prepare for the possibility of a positive New World screwworm case,
and that preparation now positions us to respond quickly and effectively," he
said.
USDA, TAHC, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and TSCRA have worked
together to increase surveillance of animals. Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer,
APHIS associate administrator and director of the New World Screwworm
Directorate, has been present in Texas since the case investigation started. He
said the sterile fly release polygon has adjusted as needed during the past
several months to release flies in the area most in danger. Based on the
science of predictive analytics, APHIS can determine if the number of sterile
flies being released in a certain area needs to be increased and when a shift
needs to be made, he said.
National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) CEO Colin Woodall said in a
statement that the organization continues to work with state partner
organizations to help combat NWS. "NCBA is doing everything possible to protect
the interests of American cattle producers. We appreciate USDA and other
agencies for working rapidly to bolster critical resources that protect
producers."
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said in a statement, "This confirmation marks a
serious moment for American livestock producers and requires an immediate,
coordinated response to protect animal health, the national cattle herd,
America's livestock producers, and our nation's food supply."
MARKET REACTION
DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart said the cattle contracts began to
react before NWS had been confirmed. Confirmation came after markets closed on
Wednesday, but Thursday's open was different.
"Who would have ever thought that the day after the first case of New World
screwworm was detected in the U.S. for the first time in 60 years, that that
would drive the feeder cattle contracts to close limit higher (up $10.75)?" she
said.
"I think it caught everyone off guard Thursday morning when the market
opened, and both the live cattle and feeder cattle contracts began to trade
higher following the news that broke late Wednesday evening," she said.
Stewart explained that in the current digitalized world, with the large
control that algorithmic trading has over the marketplace, the market has truly
become an anticipatory market where rumors and headlines drive trading
decisions, and the facts are merely an afterthought.
"And this isn't the first time the market has experienced this type of 'sell
the rumor, buy the fact,' type of behavior, as just last month ahead of the
Cattle on Feed report, the market sank sharply lower in anticipation of higher
placements," Stewart added. "But when traders later had the report and were
given the opportunity to trade its findings, traders pushed the complex higher
and merely glanced at it as if it was already old news."
NOT A FOOD SAFETY ISSUE
Dinges stressed that there are currently no food safety issues surrounding
having NWS present in the U.S., as NWS does not infest any food, including meat.
Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts echoed those thoughts in a
statement: "American consumers need to know that New World screwworm is not a
food safety concern. Meat and poultry products are safe to consume. Our first
priority is to protect the health of the nation's livestock."
USDA and agricultural organizations have been preparing for over a year to
respond if a case were found in the U.S. "USDA has been working hard to prevent
and respond to New World screwworm," Potts added. "They have improved
biosecurity by investing in protections and treatments and coordinating rapid
response."
House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., and
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman,
R-Ark., commended Rollins and USDA for their work alongside federal agencies,
state partners and animal health experts in a statement in response to domestic
detection of NWS.
"The detection of New World screwworm within our borders should not be cause
for panic, but rather time for the full deployment of the next phase of the
whole-of-government response USDA has been planning for months. We have the
tools, resources and an action plan to aggressively respond, enhance
surveillance and prevent further spread. By working closely with producers,
animal health officials, and our federal and state partners, we will take the
necessary steps to protect and safeguard America's livestock industry. We have
successfully eradicated this threat to livestock, wildlife and animal health
before, and we're confident we will do so again," the statement read.
Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller criticized the USDA in a June 3
news release. "For months, the screwworm has advanced rapidly through Mexico in
spite of the USDA's existing game plan," Miller said. "Even though billions of
sterile flies have been dispersed by USDA, the screwworm has still advanced
over 1,100 miles from southern Mexico to Texas, and USDA has missed an
important component. Now that it appears the first screwworm has arrived in
Texas, the consequences of that decision are now staring us in the face."
Miller urged the use of the Screwworm Adult Suppression System (SWASS),
which has previously been used for eradication. In this, the SWASS uses
attractants, bait and targeted, EPA-approved insecticides to dramatically
reduce adult screwworm populations. Rollins said further techniques to combat
NWS will be discussed in a press call next week.
Timothy C. Schell, director for the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said they have been preparing for fighting
NWS by approving medicines for use in the U.S., which can be found at
http://www.fda.gov.
"We don't currently have a medicated feed option, but we know this is
wanted, and we are working on this," Schell said. "This is also a reminder to
only use the products that are FDA approved to treat and prevent NWS."
DILIGENCE IS IMPORTANT
Rollins said NWS was estimated to arrive in the U.S. last summer, but since
the U.S.-Mexico border has been closed to animal imports since May 2025, the
spread was slowed. She noted the NWS fly doesn't travel long distances in a
short amount of time but is believed the pest is spreading on animals moved by
humans or wild animals.
"We now switch from prevention to eradication," added Bullard. "Producers
need to be intensely vigilant in monitoring their livestock and reporting
suspected cases to their veterinarian. We must push this pest back to Mexico
and then continue efforts to push it back to Central America."
Stewart said the shift in the marketplace should be a lesson to all in the
cattle industry. "In the fast-paced world that we live in, the market doesn't
sit around to verify facts. It trades headlines, rumors and anything in
between, and sometimes it elects to sort out the fine details as an
afterthought."
Now, it is even more important for ranchers and all animal owners to put
eyes on their livestock and wildlife according to Diebel. "Maintain a strong
relationship with your veterinarian and report suspicious wounds or
infestations immediately. Early detection, rapid response and limiting animal
movement, when necessary, remain our strongest tools for containing and
eradicating New World screwworm," Diebel said.
Rollins said there is nothing right now that tells them that there will be a
complete infestation of NWS in the U.S., but rather the cases will be
controlled as they come.
Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com
Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal
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