1. New Mexico state veterinarian says more screwworm cases 'headed this way' [edited]
State working to launch new livestock inspector program to fill 'critical' need
By Patrick Lohmann
SourceNM.com
August 4, 2026
While no new cases of New World screwworm have been detected in New Mexico for more than a month, the parasitic fly "definitely is headed this way," and a widespread infection would quickly exhaust the state's resources, the state's top veterinarian told state lawmakers Tuesday.
Samantha Holeck, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, told legislators that the state is urgently finalizing a program that would increase the number of certified livestock inspectors to help private veterinarians, along with state and federal officials, contain a screwworm outbreak.
As of Monday, Texas tallied 43 total infections, including eight new cases. Chihuahua, which borders New Mexico, has 57 cases, a case count Holeck said has "risen rather quickly."
As a result of those spikes in cases, Hoseck said more infections in New Mexico are inevitable.
"We'll have much more than just a single isolated case," she said.
The lack of federal support adds to her concern, she said. The United States Agriculture Department currently employs three federal field veterinarians for the whole state, she said, following widespread cuts to the department last year.
While the USDA is rapidly trying to hire new staff in New Mexico and along the U.S.-Mexico border, Hoseck said that process could take up to four more months. The state, which also has only three field veterinarians, will likely have to recruit private veterinarians if the screwworm outbreak worsens.
2. Minnesota identifies CWD in Washington County deer for first time
By Mary Van Beusekom, MS
CUDRAP News
August 5, 2026
A deer found near Stillwater, in Washington County, Minnesota, has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), marking the first case for that county, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced yesterday.
A landowner reported the sick doe to the DNR, who retrieved it and had it tested after it died on July 16. The positive result was confirmed this week.
"This discovery near Stillwater is unfortunate and highlights the importance of the public's awareness of and ability to report sick deer, as well as our protocol to have these deer tested for CWD," Michelle Carstensen, PhD, DNR Wildlife Health Program supervisor, said in the news release.
3. Feeding dairy cows to be more resilient to infection
New research focuses on strengthening cows' immune systems through nutrition to address rising disease rates and industry challenges.
By Julie Shlisky
VirginiaTechNews.com
July 31, 2026
In Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, researchers are exploring whether nutrition can serve not just to sustain cows but also help protect them.
Johan Osorio, assistant professor in the School of Animal Sciences, and his team are studying bioactives - naturally occurring compounds already used to support human health - to determine whether they can strengthen immune function in dairy cows. The idea is to reduce chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, allowing animals to better withstand disease and environmental pressures.
This is important because dairy products help fuel both American diets and rural economies.
Full text: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/07/dairy-cow-immune-system.html
4. Large Animal Healthcare Enhancement Fund accepting applications [NC]
Large animal veterinarians in North Carolina are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in funding to help support their large animal practices.
By Steve Troxler
The Wake Weekly
August 5, 2026
Large animal veterinarians in North Carolina are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in funding to help support their large animal practices.
The Large Animal Healthcare Enhancement funding opportunity is available to veterinarians who practice in one of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and who spend at least 30% of their patient care providing large animal veterinary services.
"Large animal veterinarians are essential to North Carolina agriculture, but too many rural communities continue to face shortages of these critical professionals," said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. "This program helps veterinarians invest in their practices, reduce educational debt and continue serving the livestock producers who depend on them."
Grant funds may be used for repayment of educational loans related to the recipient's veterinary degree, the purchase of equipment or technology for use in the recipient's large animal veterinary practice or other uses approved by the advisory committee to promote and develop large animal veterinary practice in eligible counties.
5. APHIS Transitioning to Electronic-Only Payments
APHIS Stakeholder Registry
August 5. 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is notifying stakeholders of upcoming changes to our customer payment processes.
On March 25, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14247, Modernizing Payments to and From America's Bank Account. This order directs federal agencies to fully transition to electronic payments and collections to improve efficiency and modernize federal financial transactions.
To comply with this directive, APHIS will transition to electronic-only payment methods beginning August 2026.
Accepted Electronic Payment Options (Starting August 2026)
ACH, debit card, credit card, or PayPal via www.pay.gov (recommended for fastest posting)
Bank ACH or FedWire (contact APHIS for required banking details)
Contact Information
For questions about your APHIS account:
Email: abshelpline@usda.gov
Phone: 612-336-3400 or 877-777-2128
APHIS appreciates your cooperation as we implement these federally mandated updates to improve payment processing and enhance service efficiency.
6. National Poultry Improvement Plan and Auxiliary Provisions
Federal Register Volume 91, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 5, 2026)
Proposed Rules
Pages 50488-50496
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FR Doc No: 2026-15845
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Parts 145, 146, and 147
Docket No. APHIS-2025-0033
RIN 0579-AE89
National Poultry Improvement Plan and Auxiliary Provisions
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY: We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). These amendments would, among
other things, clarify existing provisions of the regulations, fix editorial errors, and align the regulations more closely with current producer practices. These proposed changes were voted on and approved by the voting delegates at the NPIP's 2024 National Plan Conference.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before October 5, 2026.
Full text: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-05/html/2026-15845.htm