Jun 11
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday that an unprecedented federal and state response is underway following the detection of New World screwworm in South Texas, emphasizing that rapid action and coordination across agencies have positioned the country to contain the pest before it can inflict widespread damage on the livestock industry. Speaking from the …
Jun 09
The agricultural community is on high alert as new cases of the New World screwworm continue to emerge, bringing the threat closer to Oklahoma producers. In a recent interview with Farm Director KC Sheperd, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle specialist Dr. Rosslyn Biggs shared critical updates on the widening scope of the infestations and …
Jun 05
As the New World Screwworm (NWS) continues to make headlines, it is important to be aware of your herd’s risk level. Producers need to be prepared to implement additional monitoring and biosecurity measures if an infestation occurs in their area. Dr. Mitch Blanding, the director of beef technical services at Zoetis, discussed steps producers can …
May 21
The following is an open letter from Oklahoma State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall as he updates stakeholder on the New World Screwworm situation: “I wanted to give a New World Screwworm update, now that we’re on our way into summer and fly larvae will be a common occurrence. “Mexico, USDA, and Texas continue to take …
Apr 24
Active cases of New World Screwworm in the two Mexican states that border Texas in the far southern tip of that state are exploding. Over the past week in the state of Tamaulipas, active cases have jumped from 63 to 116. This state borders the Gulf of America to the east and Texas to the …
Apr 21
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently highlighted a significant advancement in American agriculture with the groundbreaking of a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Texas. This collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Army Corps of Engineers is a pivotal component of the USDA’s strategy to combat the …
Mar 09
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) today announced a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas to help with Screwworm Preparedness. This facility is a key component in Secretary Rollins’ sweeping 5-prong strategy (PDF, 1005 …
Feb 10
Yesterday at Moore Air Base, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and Governor of Texas Greg Abbott celebrated a significant achievement in the fight against New World Screwworm (NWS) with the completion of a U.S.-based sterile fly dispersal facility in Edinburg, Texas. This facility expands USDA’s ability to disperse sterile flies along the border …
Feb 02
Jennifer Carrico of DTN writes: USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has expanded sterile New World screwworm (NWS) fly releases to include Texas to help stop the pest’s northern spread. In an APHIS news release late Friday, APHIS stated the new dispersal area, or polygon, will include operations about 50 miles into Texas, …
Jan 30
Texas Prepares for New World Screwworm: Chris Clayton of DTN writes: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday issued a statewide disaster declaration to better equip the Texas New World screwworm (NWS) Response Team to prevent the potential spread of the screwworm fly into Texas and to protect livestock and wildlife. “Although the New World screwworm …
