A new case of New World screwworm has been confirmed in a horse in southwestern New Mexico, bringing the livestock parasite back to the state just days before a major border port is scheduled to reopen to Mexican cattle.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the case Thursday in Grant County, near the U.S.-Mexico border. It is New Mexico’s second confirmed case since New World screwworm returned to the United States this summer. The state’s first case, confirmed June 7 in a dog, was followed by weeks without another detection and the eventual release of New Mexico’s screwworm-infested zone on Aug. 30.
The timing of the latest detection is significant for livestock producers and the cattle trade.
Earlier Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the USDA was preparing to reopen the Santa Teresa, New Mexico, port of entry to livestock from Mexico on Sept. 24. Bloomberg reported that the port is roughly 150 miles from the newly confirmed Grant County case.
According to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, the horse’s infection had not yet been confirmed when Rollins made the reopening announcement at a news conference in Santa Teresa.
Santa Teresa reopening follows Douglas
Santa Teresa would become the next major port to reopen under USDA’s phased approach to restoring livestock trade with Mexico.
The USDA reopened the Douglas, Arizona, port to cattle imports Aug. 24. The agency previously said Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico, would be considered next, depending on conditions and Mexico’s progress under a joint action plan aimed at controlling screwworm.
Under the USDA’s import protocol, every animal entering through the reopened ports is subject to a full USDA inspection for signs of New World screwworm. The USDA has also emphasized that the reopening schedule remains flexible and ports can be paused if animal-health officials identify increased risk in northern Mexico.
The latest New Mexico case could add another consideration as federal and state officials assess conditions ahead of the Sept. 24 reopening.
New Mexico’s previous infested zone was released Aug. 30 after officials determined the state had met federal requirements for removing restrictions. At the time, the June 7 case in a dog remained New Mexico’s only confirmed detection, and no additional cases had been found. Surveillance, trapping and monitoring continued after the zone was lifted.
The USDA has tracked 50 confirmed New World screwworm cases in the United States since the first domestic detection June 3. As of Thursday, three cases remained active, according to USDA data cited by The Hill. Four cases were reported in August, all in Texas. September has brought two cases so far — one in Texas and the newly confirmed New Mexico case.