1. APHIS Approves Release of New World Screwworm Infested Zones in Texas
APHIS Stakeholder Registry
August 31, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has approved the release of two New World screwworm (NWS) infested zones in Texas, following concurrence from Texas's State Veterinarian, Dr. Bud Dinges, and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC). This marks a significant milestone: the first NWS infested zones to be released in Texas since the first case was detected in Texas on June 3.
"The Texas Animal Health Commission has been an outstanding partner throughout our response to New World screwworm. Their vigilance, on-the-ground expertise, and unwavering commitment to protecting livestock and wildlife have been essential to our shared success," said Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins. "Thanks to this strong federal-state partnership, we've been able to identify cases early, respond aggressively, and slow the spread of NWS across affected areas. Today's milestone demonstrates the power of coordinated action-showing producers, communities, and the nation that when we work together, we can protect animal health and maintain continuity of business even in challenging situations."
The two zones being released are:
Infested Zone 02.A (including portions of La Salle and Webb counties)
Infested Zone 03 (including portions of Gillespie, Kerr, and Kimble counties)
This action comes after state and federal subject matter experts confirmed that the two areas met all requirements outlined in APHIS' New World Screwworm Response Playbook (884.59 KB) for zone release.
As cases have been confirmed in Texas, TAHC and APHIS have worked together, establishing infested zones and carrying out essential response activities, including:
Establishing domestic animal movement requirements with inspections
Wildlife and fly surveillance
Strategic releases of sterile NWS flies
Releasing these zones removes NWS-related movement requirements for livestock and pets within the released areas, allowing producers to resume normal intrastate and interstate movement without NWS inspection. All non-NWS-related interstate movement requirements and international export requirements will still apply.
Several infested zones in Texas remain in place, and APHIS continues to work closely with TAHC to evaluate conditions for future zone releases. All Texas animal owners should visit the TAHC website to ensure they have the latest information about the location of infested zones, movement requirements, and zone-specific requirements.
2. Secretary Rollins Announces Ranchers First Initiatives to Rebuild the Great American Beef Herd [edited]
USDA Office of Communications Bulletin
August 31, 2026
Washington, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the Ranchers First Initiative, a sweeping package of actions to continue rebuilding the Great American Beef Herd and put America's ranchers back at the center of our nation's food supply.
Ranchers First Initiative Actions
New Tools to Support Heifer Retention
USDA is going to secure tomorrow's herd through the new Beef Retention and National Development (BRAND) endorsement for Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). The BRAND endorsement will allow producers to insure the economic value of retaining a heifer for breeding over a two-year period. The endorsement would establish a protected value based on the expected slaughter value of the heifer at the time of enrollment. If, at any time during the endorsement period, the heifer's projected or realized slaughter value exceeds the economic value of retaining her as breeding stock, the policy would provide for the difference.
ECP and Grassland CRP Maximization
USDA will allow producers to use the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) on Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to speed recovery after wildfires and other natural disasters. This flexibility is a direct investment in rebuilding the Great American Beef Herd by providing ranchers the ability to rebuild critical infrastructure quickly and minimize long-term losses from disaster events.
Continuing to Revitalize American Local Processing
Following up on the successful Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) program to support small and regional beef slaughter facilities, USDA is creating a SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program to help support regional processing, including establishing processor co-ops, expanding small business footprints, and increasing the variety of animal proteins being processed.
Full text: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAOC/bulletins/427a7b3
Clare County horse diagnosed with EEE; health officials urge mosquito precautions [MI]
WNEM.com
August 31, 2026
CLARE COUNTY, Mich. (WNEM) - Michigan's first case of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) has been confirmed in a horse from Clare County.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) said the disease was detected in an under-vaccinated one-year-old Quarter Horse colt from Clare County. The colt was taken to a specialty hospital for care but was humanely euthanized.
The case highlights the importance to take precautions against mosquito bites, MDARD said.
"While this is the first case of EEE detected in an animal this season, there has already been one human case of the disease this year," said State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland, DVM, MS, DACVPM. "These detections clearly indicate EEE, as well as other possible mosquito-borne viruses, are circulating in the state's mosquito population. Preventing mosquito bites is crucial to prevent mosquito-borne diseases in our animals and families."
Twenty Five Horses Exposed to Pigeon Fever in Montana
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
August 31, 2026
According to the attending veterinarian, one horse in Gallatin County, Montana, has tested positive for pigeon fever, and 25 horses have been exposed. The affected horses are under quarantine.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1146915/25-horses-exposed-to-pigeon-fever-in-montana/
4. From foot-and-mouth disease to One Health: 75 years of regional cooperation for veterinary public health in the Americas [edited]
Pan American Health Org.
August 27, 2026
Rio de Janeiro/Washington, D.C., 27 August 2026 (PANAFTOSA/PAHO) - When the Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFTOSA) began operations in 1951, foot-and-mouth disease was a persistent threat to livestock production, trade, and food security across the Americas. Seventy-five years later, nearly 99% of the region's livestock population is located in areas recognized as free of the disease.
A major milestone came in 1972 with the creation of the South American Commission for the Fight Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COSALFA), which established a permanent platform for technical and political coordination among countries.
This collaboration laid the foundation for the Hemispheric Program for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PHEFA), adopted by countries across the Americas in 1988 with the goal of eliminating the disease from the continent.
The results are striking. Today, nearly 99% of livestock in the Americas are located in areas officially recognized as free of foot-and-mouth disease.
The challenge now is twofold: supporting Venezuela on its path toward recognition as a foot-and-mouth disease-free country while helping countries that have already achieved that status maintain surveillance and response systems capable of rapidly detecting any reintroduction of the virus.
5. Dead box biosecurity risks revealed in new swine study
Results showed that environmental contamination was more frequently detected in farms using rendering compared to composting.
Swine Health Information Center
National Hog Farmer
August 28, 2026
To better understand disease risks associated with mortality management, the Swine Health Information Center's Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, in partnership with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff, funded a study to determine whether swine pathogens can be detected around dead animal handling structures including dead boxes and composting bins. Led by Igor Paploski, University of Minnesota, the study tracked the presence of four major swine pathogens around structures to assess environmental contamination and the potential for pathogen spread. Researchers found that environmental contamination around mortality management areas was common on farms using both rendering and composting for carcass disposal, although contamination was more frequent around farms using rendering. Findings highlight that dead animal handling structures represent an important biosecurity risk and suggest that relatively simple management practices may help reduce environmental contamination, thus strengthening farm biocontainment and biosecurity.
Read the industry summary of project #24-076 here: https://www.swinehealth.org/results/?_sp=c92b87de-279d-4538-8a53-a0db3cc4f4d6.1787943129840
[Note: this is the second item on the project list.]
6. Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory joins SDRS network
State's inventory includes 600,000 breeding animals, 4.65 million growing pigs, emphasizing the importance of robust animal health surveillance.
By Quyen Le, Daniel Linhares and Giovani Trevisan, Iowa State University; and Wes Baumgartner and James Lowe, University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
National Hog Farmer
August 31, 2026
[Note: SDRS is the Swine Disease Reporting System]
The Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory provides comprehensive diagnostic testing and disease surveillance support for veterinarians, producers, researchers and animal health officials. The laboratory supports animal health through disease diagnosis, surveillance and monitoring using a broad range of diagnostic services including molecular diagnostics, bacteriology, virology, serology, pathology and necropsy examinations.
The IL-VDL is accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, a designation that demonstrates commitment to diagnostic excellence, animal health surveillance and continuous quality improvement, while its alignment with ISO 17025 guidelines provides internationally recognized assurance of laboratory quality, technical competence, and reliability. The IL-VDL is also a Level 2 laboratory within the U.S. National Animal Health Laboratory Network, supporting national animal disease surveillance, preparedness and response activities, and a member of the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, which enhances laboratory collaboration and capacity for animal health and food safety investigations.