Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says she will make what she calls the “biggest announcement to date” in the fight against New World Screwworm this week in Texas.
The flesh-eating pest has been advancing North from Central America, prompting repeated closures of U.S. livestock imports from Mexico. Texas recently revived the use of swormlure bait, a 1970s-era control method.
The USDA shut down the border again last month after detecting the pest’s spread, just days after partially opening it. Rollins says the U.S. is working more closely than ever with Mexico on eradication efforts.
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Horses and other livestock are reportedly crossing parts of the border without normal health inspections.
USDA researchers say the method could also produce healthier males for release in the field.
Texas has lifted movement restrictions in five counties after officials determined wild screwworm populations had been eliminated in those areas.
