1. USDA Sec. Rollins, Gov. Abbott give update on flesh-eating pest spotted in Texas [edited]
By: Adam Schwager
KXAN.com
June 8, 2026
KERRVILLE (Nexstar) - We're headed for a "War on Screwworm," according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
On Monday afternoon, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, and other Texas officials met with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and other federal officials at the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville.
Monday's meeting comes after the USDA confirmed two new Texas cases on Monday morning, and after Abbott activated the emergency center for screwworm response.
"This Administration is working hand-in-hand with our Texas partners delivering an unprecedented response: hitting harder, faster, and smarter than ever before," said Rollins Monday in a social media post* titled "WAR ON SCREWORM." "Thanks to our proactive preparation and rapid response, American agriculture will not be disrupted. We will eradicate this threat."
*See: https://x.com/SecRollins/status/2064028107837739336
Also PBS has coverage of the full press conference (60 min.) on their YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/live/3qZ0-gvb0x8
2. Three new cases of screwworm confirmed in Texas; A&M leader tasked as federal adviser
The case in Andrews County included an infested dog. Another case included a goat in Gillespie County.
By Jayme Lozano Carver
Texas Tribune
June 8, 2026, 1:13 p.m. Central
Three more cases of the New World screwworm were confirmed in Texas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to five.
One new case is in Andrews County, nearly 400 miles north of Zavala County, where the first case was reported last week.
The two new cases are in different animals. In La Salle County, about 80 miles northwest of Zavala, a calf has been infected. In Andrews County, a veterinarian submitted the samples from an infested dog. According to the Andrews Veterinary Clinic, the case was seen on Saturday, and neither the dog nor its owner is local to Andrews. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a USDA service, said the dog is from a household in Lea County, New Mexico, making it the state's first screwworm case.
The APHIS said the dog's travel history and exposure history is unknown. The USDA is inspecting additional animals in the household and increases outreach.
The third case is in a goat out of Gillespie County, about 170 miles north of Zavala County.
Full text: https://tinyurl.com/pud5j9xu
3. President Trump appoints senior advisor to combat screwworm
By Gabrielle Lopez
KVIA.com
June 8, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVIA) -- President Donald Trump appointed John Bellinger as the senior advisor for New World Screwworm Preparedness, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday.
In his role, Bellinger will help the USDA combat NWS. As of Monday, there are four confirmed NWS detections in Texas. The parasite infests livestock and other animals.
"New World Screwworm presents unique challenges to America's ranchers," Bellinger said in a statement. "I look forward to working with USDA and our state partners as continuing ramping up testing, detection, and release of our tools to reduce these flies' populations."
Bellinger serves as Chair of the Committee on Research at the Texas A&M Board of Regents, according to the USDA. He's the former CEO of Food Safety Net Services, the CEO of of Agri-West International and the former chairman of the U.S. Meat Export federation.
In 2022, he was inducted into the U.S. Meat Industry hall of Fame.
4. FAO Report Highlights Long-term Economic Case For Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance In Livestock
FAO
Global-Agriculture.com
June 8, 2026
June 8, 2026, Rome: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant long-term threat to food security, livestock production, economic welfare and human health, making it imperative to realign incentives in the global livestock sector before the costs of inaction become much harder to reverse, according to a new scenario-based economic assessment from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Under current trends, driven by growing demand for animal source foods and continued production intensification, global antimicrobial use in livestock is projected to increase by nearly 30 percent by 2040 compared with 2019, according to The future of antimicrobial use in livestock - The economic cost of action or inaction, presented today on the sidelines of the Fourth Session of the COAG Sub-Committee on Livestock at FAO headquarters in Rome.
The report highlights that while antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) are associated with clear short-term productivity gains, especially in resource-limited areas, the long-term production losses projected under rising AMR scenarios are much larger. In the scenarios assessed, cumulative livestock production losses under the high-AMR case could reach about $318 billion by 2040, compared with about $53 billion under the most severe AGP phase-out case.
"The costs of reducing unnecessary antimicrobial use are often immediate and concentrated, while the benefits of preserving antimicrobial effectiveness are long-term and widely shared," said Thanawat Tiensin, FAO Assistant Director-General, Director of the Animal Production and Health Division, and Chief Veterinarian. "This is why antimicrobial effectiveness should be treated as a global public good, requiring better alignment between national and farm-level incentives and the global benefits of preserving its effectiveness, supported by investment that makes prevention feasible at scale."
Emergency Rule Enacted to Further Protect Florida Livestock From HPAI [edited]
Emergency temporary restrictions
Morning Ag Clips
June 5, 2026
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - In addition to previously issued safety protocols and policies, and in response to recent USDA confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson today issued Emergency Rule 5CER26-4. The Emergency Rule imposes specific movement restrictions and testing requirements for imported dairy cattle into Florida to prevent the spread of HPAI. There have been no detections of HPAI in any livestock in Florida.
"This emergency rule is another proactive step Florida is taking to protect our livestock, safeguard the health of our citizens, and strengthen the safety and security of our food supply," said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. "We will continue to work collaboratively with our federal, state, and industry partners to mitigate the risks posed by highly pathogenic avian influenza and ensure the continued safety and integrity of Florida agriculture."
Emergency Rule 5CER26-4 is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as necessary.
Full text, incl. full restrictions:
https://www.morningagclips.com/commr-wilton-simpson-issues-emergency-rule-to-further-protect-florida-livestock-from-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza/
Screwworm Finding: USDA Halts Animal Exports to Mexico
American Horse Council putting out guidelines, information on screwworm.
By Frank Angst
Bloodhorse.com
June 8, 2026
In response to the detection of New World screwworm in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has restricted the export of live animals to Mexico.
Those changes include horses, as the USDA said it will halt exports from all U.S. states of equine to Mexico for breeding or work, sport or exhibition, or for slaughter.
Daily Insights
The USDA said the policy is effective immediately and will remain in place until it has further information from Mexico. The restrictions also apply to cattle, wild ruminants (non-bovine), sheep and goats, pet dogs, swine, ferrets, and birds.
The response follows the June 3 detection of screwworm in a bovine in Texas. To date, there has not been a detection in equine.
6. TAHC Commissioners Adopt Entry Rule Changes [TX]
Chapter 51, Entry Requirements
June 5, 2026
AUSTIN, TX - The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) held a regularly scheduled Commission meeting May 12, 2026, at its headquarters in Austin. The following amendments were adopted and went into effect June 4, 2026.
Chapter 51, Entry Requirements
The adopted amendments expand the veterinary care exception for certificates of veterinary inspection (CVIs) from equine-only to equine, cattle, bison, and camelids. The adopted amendments also eliminate a duplicative CVI exception for equine entering for sale at a livestock market which may be consigned directly to a veterinary clinic for issuance of a CVI.
The updated rules are available in the Texas Administrative Code under Title 2, Part 4 in the respective chapter. The Texas Administrative Code* can be accessed through the TAHC website [www.tahc.texas.gov] .