USDA Ramps Up Border Protection Against New World Screwworm Threat
Courtesy of USDA/APHIS
With the recent detection of New World Screwworm within 70 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is ramping up efforts to prevent the pest from entering and threatening American livestock. This proactive approach is being led by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and involves enhanced surveillance, partnerships, and new technologies.
Deputy Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Lauren Stump, provided a detailed update on current prevention efforts:
“A lot of this work happens focusing on what’s happening in Mexico, how do we stop that pest from spreading in Mexico, and in being partners with them in eradication to protect the U.S. southern border, we have to enhance that U.S. oversight and surveillance. We’ve got to get better case reporting, lock down that animal movement that’s happening in Mexico to prevent further spread, and at the same time, we’re providing traps and lures for screwworms, so we really have an accurate assessment of where the pest is. We’re doing proactive trapping in areas where we know it is not yet, so that we have that proactive early signaling.”
The USDA has already deployed screwworm traps along critical points of entry:
“We’ve also deployed traps along the U.S. border in Texas, in Arizona, and New Mexico, and are looking at deploying traps in California if that situation evolves.”
In addition to physical trapping, USDA has increased hiring of tick riders—specialized personnel patrolling remote border regions:
“We’ve ramped up hiring of the tick riders. We’ve trained tick riders now to look for, inspect, and be able to treat any animals that are infested with New World Screwworm that they might encounter along the border.”
The agency is also exploring the use of detector dogs trained specifically to identify screwworm infestations:
“We also are putting a plan together, and will begin training detector dogs to detect screwworm infestations in livestock and other animals along the border, and at different ports of entry.”
With the New World Screwworm posing a significant threat to U.S. cattle and other livestock, the USDA is taking swift, strategic action to safeguard the food supply and rural economies.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.