1. New World Screwworm detected in cow in northwest Medina County TX - [edited]
There are currently 17 active cases of the New World Screwworm in Texas, data shows
KSAT.com
June 25, 2026
MEDINA COUNTY, Texas - The New World Screwworm was detected Tuesday in a cow in northwest Medina County, according to County Judge Keith Lutz. [There are now 20 cases total in the US.]
Due to the detection of the New World Screwworm in Medina County, Lutz said portions of Bandera, Medina and Uvalde counties are designated as "Infested Zone 09."
The following animal movement restrictions are now imposed:
Warm-blooded animals located in Infested Zone 09 cannot be moved outside the zone without authorization from the commission
To move animals outside of the zone, the animal must be inspected and treated as required by the commission and issued a permit or certificate for movement by a commission representative
Any parts of an animal capable of serving as a host for the parasitic fly must be inspected and receive treatment deemed necessary by a commission representative before its removal from the zone
Unauthorized movement is prohibited and subject to administrative penalties and/or criminal prosecution
2. Five Washington Horses Test Positive for EIA; Oregon Horse Tests Positive for EHV-1
Five Washington Horses Test Positive for EIA
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
June 25, 2026
According to the assistant state veterinarian, five horses at a private facility in Pierce County, Washington, have tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). There are reportedly 13 horses at the facility.
Epidemiology and bush track exposure investigations are ongoing. The horses are currently quarantined.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1145607/5-washington-horses-test-positive-for-eia/
Oregon Horse Tests Positive for EHV-1
EDCC Health Watch
EquiManagement.com
June 24, 2026
According to the State Department of Agriculture, one horse in Crook County, Oregon, has tested positive for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1). The horse is quarantined. One additional horse has been exposed.
Full text: https://equimanagement.com/news/edcc-health-watch/oregon-horse-tests-positive-for-ehv-1-3/
3. The never-ending battle against New World screwworm
The fight against NWS requires constant vigilance at barriers. A 2023 breach in Panama led to rapid northward spread through Central America.
By Derrell PeelOklahoma State University Extension
Beef Magazine
June 24, 2026
The reemergence of New World Screwworm (NWS) in the U.S. has prompted much discussion about eradicating the pest once again after having the country NWS-free for over 40 years. Sometimes overlooked or not understood is the fact that the battle has never stopped. Eradication of NWS from a particular region is a matter of pushing the boundary away from the region and maintaining it with sterile fly dispersals. After NWS was eliminated from the U.S. in 1966, NWS continued to be a problem in the U.S. because the barrier at the U.S.-Mexican border was too long and impossible to maintain. A major NWS outbreak in 1972 spurred the U.S. and Mexico to increase cooperation with a goal of eliminating NWS from both countries. Figure 1 (Source: Confirmed Screwworm Cases: 1972) shows that more than 90,000 cases of NWS were reported in Texas alone in 1972. Progress in pushing NWS south in Mexico eventually resulted in the last case of NWS in the U.S. in 1982. The sterile fly facility in Mission, Texas, was replaced with a new facility in Tuxtla, Mexico.
As the NWS barrier in Mexico approached the 93rd Meridian (Isthmus of Tehuantepec), the decision was made to extend the NWS barrier south through Central America. Mexico was declared NWS-free in 1991. Progress in pushing the NWS barrier south through Central America led to the decision to establish the permanent barrier in Panama against the endemic NWS presence in South America.
4. NC State Faculty Awarded USDA Funds to Help Bolster New World Screwworm Response
By Amanda Kerr
CALS News
June 24, 2026
Three NC State University researchers with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help combat the spread of the New World screwworm.
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has awarded $105 million for a total of 40 projects as part of its New World Screwworm Grand Challenge initiative, which focuses on four core priorities:
Enhance sterile NWS fly production to improve program efficiency and capacity.
Develop novel NWS traps and lures to modernize detection and early warning systems.
Advance NWS therapeutics and treatments to reduce animal health impacts and strengthen response capability.
Develop tools that bolster preparedness and response, including repellents, ecological modeling, wildlife surveillance, or other innovative approaches.
5. MDARD announces public comment period for proposed bovine tuberculosis testing areas [MI]
Michigan Farm News
June 24, 2026
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is seeking public comment on two proposed orders that would establish bovine tuberculosis (TB) testing requirements in specific portions of Antrim, Arenac, Charlevoix, Iosco and Ogemaw counties.
MDARD is proposing the new testing requirements due to the detection of bovine TB in cattle herds from Charlevoix and Iosco counties earlier this year. Read the proposed order for Antrim and Charlevoix counties here, and the proposed order for Arenac, Iosco and Ogemaw counties here.
"The requirements would help ensure all cattle and bison herds within the testing area have not contracted the disease," MDARD wrote. "Since these counties are not within Michigan's existing bovine TB testing area, Public Act 466 of 1988 authorizes MDARD to implement orders for testing animals for bovine TB and other reportable diseases."
The proposed orders would require all cattle and bison herds located in designated township sections of Antrim, Arenac, Charlevoix, Iosco and Ogemaw counties to be tested for bovine TB by July 21, 2027.
This testing would include all cattle and bison 12 months or older and cattle and bison of any age that were not born on the farm. Affected producers known to be within the proposed testing areas will receive letters providing more details.
6. Petition urges FDA to end routine antibiotic use on farms
By Chris Dall, MA
CIDRAP News
June 24, 2026
A coalition of 65 health, environmental, consumer, and animal welfare groups has filed a petition with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to end the routine use of antibiotics in food-producing animals.
The citizen's petition, sent last week to the FDA, calls on the agency to withdraw approval of medically important antibiotics that are administered in animal feed and water when not associated with a diagnosed illness. The target of the petition is use of antibiotics for disease prevention and "maintenance of growth" in poultry, swine, dairy cattle, and beef cattle-uses the groups argue are unnecessary and contribute to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that drug-resistant bacteria contribute to about 35,000 deaths and 2.8 million infections in the United States each year. Many of the antibiotics used in food-producing animals are also used in people.
An estimated 34 million pounds of antibiotics are used in livestock water and feed in the United States each year, according to the petition. While antibiotics are necessary for treating animals that have diagnosed bacterial infections, antibiotic stewardship advocates have long argued that the FDA should do more to prevent overuse of the drugs in food-animal production. The agency has banned the use of antibiotics for growth promotion but still allows use for disease prevention in otherwise healthy animals.