Three Colorado Premises Quarantined for Presumptive Vesicular Stomatitis
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
August 20, 2026
According to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), three new equine premises in Colorado (one in La Plata County and two in Montezuma County) have presumptive positive cases of vesicular stomatitis (VSV). The facilities are under quarantine.
Since the start of the current outbreak, 45 VSV-affected premises (31 confirmed positive, 14 presumptive positive) have been identified in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. All confirmed cases have been vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) serotype.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1146648/3-colorado-premises-quarantined-for-presumptive-vesicular-stomatitis/
Three Wyoming Horses Test Positive for Pigeon Fever
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
August 20, 2026
According to the state veterinarian, three horses in Albany County, Wyoming, have tested positive for pigeon fever. One positive horse lives at a private facility, where one additional horse is suspected to be positive and 10 horses have been exposed. Two positive horses live at a boarding facility, where 15 horses have been exposed.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1146651/3-wyoming-horses-test-positive-for-pigeon-fever/
Officials outline expanded fight against New World screwworm
By Coy Slavik
SouthTexasNews.com
August 20, 2026
VICTORIA - Federal and state agriculture officials urged South Texas livestock producers on Wednesday, Aug. 19 to remain vigilant and quickly report suspicious wounds as the government expands sterile-fly production and surveillance to combat New World screwworm.
U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud hosted the panel discussion at Victoria College's Emerging Technology Complex, bringing together officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas Animal Health Commission and other agencies involved in the response.
The panel included Dudley Hoskins, under secretary, United States Department of Agriculture; Dan Hunter, state executive director, USDA; Stephen Diebel, president of Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; Dr. Lewis "Bud" Dinges, state veterinarian of the Texas Animal Health Commission; Admiral Michael Schmoyer, associate administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and Kory Gann, big game director of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
Hoskins said cooperation with ranchers and other livestock owners remains critical because New World screwworm can infest virtually any warm-blooded animal.
"The sharpest tool in our toolbox is partnership and vigilance and education and awareness," Hoskins said. "When you all see something of concern, report it. We want to be a resource."
First screwworm case detected in Mexican state of Sonora
By Reuters
August 19, 2026
MEXICO CITY - Mexico's Sonora state has activated emergency surveillance, containment, and control protocols following the detection of its first case of screwworm, Governor Alfonso ?Durazo said on Wednesday.
"We reinforced the sanitary cordon and actions in the area to prevent its spread and protect the health status of our ?state," the governor said on social media website X.
The detection comes as ?the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prepares to lift a ?ban on Mexican cattle imports in the ?coming week.
3. Import Alert: Import Restrictions on Taiwan due to African Swine Fever
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
August 20, 2026
Issuance Date:?August 19,?2026 ?? 11:10 am?U.S. Eastern?
Effective?Date:?August 19,?2026
Region: Taiwan
As of the effective date listed above, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is lifting restrictions on the importation of porcine commodities originating from or transiting Taiwan that APHIS had imposed effective on October 24, 2025, due to the detection of African swine fever (ASF) on a pig farm in Taiwan. APHIS has evaluated the ASF status of Taiwan and determined that Taiwan has eradicated the ASF outbreak and is free of ASF. However, APHIS does not consider Taiwan to be free from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), classical swine fever (CSF), or swine vesicular disease (SVD); therefore, import restrictions outlined in Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR), sections?94, 95, and 96 on porcine (pork, swine, or pig) commodities originating from or transiting Taiwan remain in place due to FMD, CSF, and SVD.
Full text: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/425e7fe
4. What Global Disease Threats Mean for Your Swine Operation
As foreign animal diseases like ASF and screwworm evolve globally, U.S. pork producers are urged to double down on local biosecurity and focus on the on-farm risks they can control.
By Jennifer Shike
PorkBusiness.com
August 20, 2026
While recent detections of African swine fever (ASF) in Finland's wild boar population and classical swine fever (CSF) in Japan highlight a persistent global threat to commercial swine, U.S. producers are being urged to tighten on-farm biosecurity and focus on what they can control in their operation.
How Does ASF in Finland Impact the U.S.?
Although the recent spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Finland is discouraging, Dr. Lisa Becton, associate director of the Swine Health Information Center, says the good news in the latest Swine Disease Global Surveillance Report generated is that it's only been detected in wild boar and not in commercial swine populations.
"This outbreak reminds us that there's still active virus and high risk for transmission within the global wild pig population. Because the U.S. has a significant feral hog population, it is critical that producers focus on the prevention of emerging swine diseases by preventing exposure of commercial swine to feral swine," Becton says. "If ASF ever got into that population, it would be very difficult to control, so we need to focus on actions that we can take to prevent it from entering the U.S."
She says SHIC's surveillance of global disease outbreaks allows pork producers to learn from what other countries are doing to mitigate or reduce exposure of commercial herds to feral pigs. Although that's not a problem for the many producers in the U.S., others do have to mitigate this challenge.
"Reduce exposure by preventing nose-to-nose contact with wild pigs, and that includes things like removing attractants such as spilled feeds or closing doors or gates where wild pigs can get in," she says. "Feral pigs can get into some farm setting easily, and having barriers like preventive fencing can work, but sometimes it fails. Do what you can to minimize attractants around your farm."
Full text: https://www.porkbusiness.com/news/what-global-disease-threats-mean-your-swine-operation
5. Needs assessment and resources for veterinarians to practice honey bee medicine
By Ana Heck and Meghan Milbrath, Michigan State University Extension
MSU Extension
August 19, 2026
The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a referred article titled Honey bee medicine: a lack of knowledge, education, skills, and training identified as the most commonly cited challenge for veterinary medicine practitioners. The article describes results of a needs assessment survey of veterinarians, veterinary medicine students, and veterinary technicians related to honey bee medicine.
Michigan State University (MSU) distributed the survey and collected responses. Melinda Wilkins, DVM, PhD, DACVPM, from the University of Minnesota was the article's lead author. Meghan Milbrath, PhD, was the project's principal investigator and the article's senior author. Ana Heck and collaborators at other universities were contributing authors.
The article describes needs identified by survey respondents and their perceived barriers to working with beekeepers. It also highlights some educational programs delivered by MSU, Texas A&M University, University of Florida, and University of Minnesota to train veterinary practitioners in honey bee medicine. The article reports post-program evaluation responses that measured knowledge and confidence from participating in clinics and follow-up evaluation responses measuring steps toward taking on beekeeping clients as a result of participating in MSU's clinics.
Full text: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/needs-assessment-for-veterinarians-to-practice-honey-bee-medicine
6. Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products
Federal Register Volume 91, Number 160 (Thursday, August 20, 2026)
Notices
Page 53840
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FR Doc No: 2026-17044
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
U.S. Codex Office
Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products
AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.
SUMMARY: The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on September 17, 2026. The objective of the public meeting is to provide
information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 11th Session of the Codex Committee on
Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP11) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). CCMMP11 will be held by correspondence from September 29-October
29, 2026. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 11th Session of the CCMMP and to address
items on the agenda.
DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2026, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. ET.
Full text: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-20/html/2026-17044.htm