1. New World screwworm case in Hereford horse sparks quarantine [AZ]
By Jovany Hernandez
KVOA.com
November 3, 2026
PHOENIX (KVOA) -- State agricultural officials are warning animal owners after discovering a second confirmed case of New World screwworm in Southern Arizona.
According to the Arizona Department of Agriculture, a domesticated horse with no history of travel contracted the parasite near Hereford in Cochise County. The discovery has prompted officials to establish a mandatory quarantine zone to prevent the destructive pest from spreading further.
The quarantine zone spans a radius of 20 kilometers, or approximately 12.4 miles, around the affected property. Under the emergency restrictions, no animals are allowed to leave the designated area unless they receive explicit permission from the state veterinarian.
Officials have also suspended self-inspections within the zone.
This latest detection follows the state's first confirmed case of the parasite, which officials found in a dog near Elfrida on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. The new case was identified approximately 45 miles away from that initial site.
The federal government is assisting state teams by releasing sterile flies in the surrounding areas and constructing a specialized dispersal facility in Douglas.
2. USDA Commits $51.9M to Expand Multi-State War on Feral Swine
Targeted grants across 13 states will fund whole-sounder trapping, producer training and habitat restoration to counter mounting agricultural damage and livestock disease risks.
By Jennifer Shike
Pork Business
November 3, 2026
Feral swine tear through row crops, bulldoze pastureland and destroy perimeter fencing overnight, inflicting billions of dollars in annual agricultural losses. Beyond physical devastation, their unchecked expansion presents a serious biosecurity threat to the domestic pork industry through the risk of transmitting devastating foreign animal and livestock diseases.
To ramp up suppression efforts, the USDA is investing $51.9 million across 29 partnership projects in 13 states. The funding marks the latest phase of the broader $105 million Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP), a coordinated federal initiative pairing on-the-ground producer assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with the wildlife management and surveillance capabilities of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
The awards target high-impact agricultural corridors across Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Full text: https://www.porkbusiness.com/news/usda-commits-51-9m-expand-multi-state-war-feral-swine
3. Multimillion-Dollar Campaign Against U.S. Pork Producers Traced to Silicon Valley and Animal Rights Network
RealClearInvestigations follows the money and public records behind the fight against congressional action on California's Proposition 12, calling into question the campaign's financing and leadership.
By NPPC
Pork Business
November 2, 2026
A new RealClearInvestigations (RCI) report links a $40 million campaign against a congressional fix to California's Proposition 12 to Silicon Valley wealth, animal rights activists, and a network of philanthropic organizations operating behind groups that present themselves as voices for American farmers.
In "The Bacon Wars: Pig Farmers Battle Tech Barons Over Animal Welfare," James Varney examines the money, leadership and advertising behind the farm bill attack campaign. At the center is the American Meat Producers Association (AMPA), which has announced a $30 million effort opposing the Save Our Bacon provision that would correct Prop. 12 in the farm bill.
The investigation reveals a stark contrast with the campaign's claims of representing farmers and raises these central questions: Who is paying for the campaign? Whose interests does it represent? And what are the consequences for American farmers and consumers?
4. APHIS Releases Second Report From the Beef Feedlot 2021 Study
APHIS Stakeholder Registry
November 3, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has released Health and Management Practices on U.S. Feedlots, 2021, the second report from its 2021 study of the U.S. feedlot industry.
About the Feedlot 2021 Study
Feedlot 2021 is the fifth national study of U.S. feedlots conducted by APHIS' National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS). The study included 22 States, with small feedlots participating from 18 States and large feedlots from 17 States. The study collected data on:
Management practices on U.S. feedlots with 50 or more head
Prevalence of important feedlot cattle diseases
Antibiotic use and stewardship practices on U.S. feedlots
Trends in feedlot cattle health management practices and important feedlot cattle diseases
Feedlot 2021 Report Highlights
Respiratory Disease: Overall, 12.2 percent of cattle on U.S. feedlots were affected with respiratory disease in 2020. A higher percentage of cattle under 400 pounds at arrival (25.9 percent) developed respiratory disease in 2020 compared with cattle 700 pounds or more at arrival (9.6 percent). On small feedlots, there were no differences by arrival weight in the percentage of cattle affected by respiratory disease, but on large feedlots, a higher percentage of cattle under 400 pounds at arrival (31.0 percent) were affected by respiratory disease in 2020 compared with cattle 700 pounds or more at arrival (10.4 percent).
Arrival Procedures: Cattle are often "processed" after arrival to the feedlot where a pen or group of cattle is run through a chute to have one or more procedures, such as vaccinations, performed while they are immobilized in the chute. Overall, 75.9 percent of feedlots processed any cattle as a group within 4 weeks of arrival. Most of these feedlots vaccinated all cattle against bovine viral diarrhea (80.8 percent), clostridial diseases (70.1 percent), or any respiratory diseases (87.6 percent), and 83.7 percent administered a parasiticide to all cattle. Additionally, 58.4 percent of these feedlots did not need to castrate any male calves because all male calves were castrated prior to arrival.
Antibiotic Use: Most feedlots (90.2 percent) used antibiotics for at least one animal in 2020. Overall, 83.7 percent of feedlots used injectable or bolus-dosed antibiotics for at least one animal, 69.9 percent used medically or non-medically important antibiotics in feed for at least some cattle, and 5.9 percent used antibiotics in water for at least some cattle. For feedlots that used any injectable or bolus-dosed antibiotics in 2020, the majority said that veterinarian recommendations (82.4 percent), personal experience (83.7 percent), and duration of action (62.4 percent) were either extremely important or very important in the selection of these antibiotics.
Biosecurity: A higher percentage of large feedlots (30.3 percent) than small feedlots (5.6 percent) had a written or electronic biosecurity plan in 2020. The vast majority (91.8 percent) of feedlots did not share a fence line with another operation with the possibility of nose-to-nose contact with other cattle, bison, or other domestic ruminants in 2020. For feedlots that did not share a fence line with another operation with the possibility of nose-to-nose contact with other cattle, bison, or other domestic ruminants, the average distance to the nearest operation with cattle, bison, or other domestic ruminants was 1.7 miles.
Learn More:
The second report from the Feedlot 2021 study is available at Health and Management Practices on U.S. Feedlots, 2021*. For more information about other NAHMS studies, visit National Animal Health Monitoring System.
*See: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/nahms-feedlot-health-2021-mgmt-practice-dr2.pdf
5. Michigan marks One Health Day to promote cross-agency disease prevention work
This day recognizes the people and organizations working to understand how animal health, human health, and environmental health are connected as well as how collaboration across these areas helps protect our communities
MDARD
Soo Leader
November 3, 2026
LANSING - Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed Nov. 3 as One Health Day in Michigan. This day recognizes the people and organizations working to understand how animal health, human health, and environmental health are connected as well as how collaboration across these areas helps protect our communities. The Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Natural Resources (MDNR) and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) proudly join in recognizing this day and the shared work that keeps Michigan healthy.
"Everyone has a role in supporting animal, public, and environmental health," said MDARD Director Tim Boring. "Addressing complex threats takes all of us-working together across federal, state, local, academic, industry, and community partners-to respond quickly and effectively. Protecting Michigan's health truly is a shared responsibility."
The One Health approach has long been the definitive model used to tackle issues such as highly pathogenic avian influenza, rabies, ticks, mosquito-borne diseases (like eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus), bovine tuberculosis, harmful algal blooms, and much more.
"One Health recognizes a simple truth: the health of people, animals and our environment is inseparable," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive. "When experts across public health, veterinary medicine, agriculture, wildlife and environmental sciences work together, we can detect emerging threats earlier and respond more effectively. Animals often serve as our frontline warning system - changes in their health can reveal risks to humans long before illness appears. By acting on these signals, we can protect Michigan families sooner and more decisively."
6. Wisconsin Filly Contracts WNV
EDCC Health Watch
Equus Magazine
November 3, 2026
On Oct. 15, a 2-year-old Morgan filly in Grant County, Wisconsin, tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV).
The unvaccinated filly developed clinical signs on Oct. 8, including ataxia in all four limbs and muscle fasciculations. She is currently recovering.
Full text: https://equusmagazine.com/news/edcc-health-watch/wisconsin-filly-contracts-wnv