1. Screwworm found in Juarez
The reopening of the ports to cattle trade could be paused if U.S. authorities identify an increased risk in Sonora or Chihuahua.
By Clint Peck
Beef Magazine
August 18, 2026
Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, now has an active case of New World Screwworm?(NWS). The most recent report from Mexico's National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality?(Senasica)?included the border municipality with one case, among the?82 active NWS cases in Chihuahua.
Initial reports from Mexico provide little substantiated detail on the movement of the NWS to the border at Juarez, or the animal that carried the pest. As of the time of publishing, there was no reaction from USDA.
This case places Ciudad Juárez on the NWS map for the first time and is of special relevance due to its proximity to ports used for the movement of livestock, such as Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The SENASICA report comes at a sensitive time for the border, due to the planned reopening of U.S. ports to Mexican livestock trade.
Full text: https://www.beefmagazine.com/livestock-management/screwworm-found-in-jaurez
2. Texas A&M Engineering leads work on rapid screwworm treatment [edited]
Researchers are developing wound treatments that quickly kill larvae while reducing chemical residues, offering ranchers and veterinarians a rapid response tool that current eradication methods cannot provide.
Texas A& Univ.
August 18, 2026
The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is developing fast-acting, low-residue wound treatments to deploy immediately when New World screwworm infestations are detected in livestock. Dr. Mustafa E.S. Akbulut leads the $1.86 million project.
"This project reflects the core of our mission as a land-grant engineering college," said Dr. Robert H. Bishop, vice chancellor and dean of Texas A&M Engineering. "We are bringing scientific innovation directly to a national biosecurity threat, delivering solutions that protect producers, safeguard the food supply and strengthen the resilience of U.S. agriculture."
"Releasing sterile flies is how you beat screwworm across a whole region, but it works over months. It does nothing for the infested calf standing in the chute today. We are building that missing piece: a fast, single-application wound treatment that vets and ranchers can pull off a shelf the moment an animal is found," said Akbulut, associate professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering.
Additional contributors to the project include Dr. Phillip Kaufman, professor and head of the Texas A&M University Department of Entomology (co-principal investigator, or co-PI); Dr. Jordan Salomon, assistant research scientist in entomology (co-PI); Dr. Matthew Taylor, professor of food microbiology in the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science (co-PI); Dr. Emily Sundman, associate professor of veterinary pharmacology at Texas Tech University; and Dr. Laszlo Hunyadi, professor of large animal medicine at Texas Tech.
Full text: https://stories.tamu.edu/stories/texas-am-engineering-leads-work-on-rapid-screwworm-treatment/
3. Manhattan's $1.25 billion animal disease research facility not fully operational, report says [KS]
By Morgan Chilson
Kansas Reflector
August 18, 2026
TOPEKA - The $1.25 billion biocontainment facility in Manhattan developed for cutting-edge research on the most dangerous animal diseases is not fully operational three years after its ribbon-cutting, a federal report determined.
The Office of Inspector General published a July report* stating the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility isn't able to perform the high-level animal disease science it was designed for.
[*See: https://www.oig.usda.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2026-07/50801-0002-31_FR_redacted__public.pdf ]
The facility wasn't appropriately configured by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the report said.
DHS transferred the facility to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in February 2024, which accepted it without a complete commissioning report, a move that ultimately cost the USDA $75.8 million as it fixes issues that hadn't been addressed, the report said.
The USDA expects additional costs may be incurred to finish the 574,000-square-foot facility.
New Equine WNV Cases Confirmed in California and Kansas
Three new horses have tested positive for the disease.
EDCC Health Watch
EquiManagement.com
August 18, 2026
Three new equine West Nile virus (WNV) cases have been reported to the Equine Disease Communication Center. The cases are located in California and Kansas.
In California, an under-vaccinated 5-year-old Quarter Horse mare in Fresno County tested positive on Aug. 14 after presenting with ataxia and muscle fasciculations on Aug. 3. She is alive and recovering.
Two new cases have been confirmed in Kansas, including one horse in Rawlins County and one in Jewell County. The current status of those horses is unknown.
Strangles Case Confirmed at California Boarding Facility
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
August 18, 2026
On Aug. 13, a 25-year-old Thoroughbred mare at a boarding facility in Sonoma County, California, tested positive for strangles. The mare presented with a cough on Aug. 7. She is currently isolated.
One additional horse is suspected to be positive, and 30 horses have been exposed.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1146605/strangles-case-confirmed-at-california-boarding-facility/
5. UW-Madison veterinary lab in Barron set to receive $19.5-million in renovations and expansion
By Elliot Adams
WQOW.com
August 17, 2026
BARRON - Wisconsin's State Building Commission approved roughly $374-million in building projects statewide last week and one of those projects include a nearly $20-million investment in Barron.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (WVDL) has been looking to renovate and expand its Barron location for several years. The lab's current building was constructed in 1992, but since then its grown too small and its labs can no longer keep up with demand.
In 2023, the project was originally budgeted in 2021 for nearly $10-million, but supply chain issues, inflation, and delays caused costs to rise in 2023 and again now. Last week, UW-Madison's request for an additional $5-million was approved, bringing the budgeted cost to $19,555,000.
The WDVL Barron office primarily serves veterinarians and the poultry industry in northwestern Wisconsin. In the case of poultry, the lab can identify epidemics like bird flu, which helps keep flocks safe and the food supply as well. According to WVDL Director Keith Poulsen, the current facility isn't what's considered a BSL-3 facility, which means it's unable to test certain specimens that have to then be sent off to Madison or Minnesota.
6. Register now for the "EHV-1: Understanding the Disease and Reducing the Risk" webcast on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 8 p.m. EDT
TheHorse.com
August 17, 2026
Confused about equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1)? Headed to a competition soon and want to know how to help protect your horse? Join us for a free webcast to learn about the different strains, clinical signs, and potential effects on horses.
Nicola Pusterla, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, AVDC-Equine, of the department of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, Davis, will help attendees understand the complexities of EHV. He will also share simple, actionable tips and tricks to enhance biosecurity in every environment, whether at home or away. The time to think about biosecurity isn't during or after an outbreak, it's before one occurs. Learn how to help keep your horse healthy.
Can't tune in on Thursday, Aug. 27? Everyone registered* for the event will receive a follow-up email with a link to the recorded webcast.
Register: https://tinyurl.com/24m6ghwa