There is some good news and bad news when it comes to recent New World screwworm prevention

Earlier this week USDA announced the strategic reopening of ports to cattle, bison, and equine imports from Mexico.

U.S. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says that USDA will be on the ground in Mexico and that reopening could start as soon as July 7th at the Douglas Arizona Port Facility.

Oklahoma state veterinarian, Dr. Rod Hall penned an update on New World Screwworm efforts to his own state’s constituents sharing both good and bad news.

He says that the good news is no new cases of the pest in Mexico’s southern states have been discovered since early May.
Also, Mexico is now allowing sterile fly dispersion flight seven days a week.

However, the bad news is that cattle moving from Central America, where New World screwworm is still prevalent, are still moving to feedyards in northern Mexico.

Hall worries that poor mitigation efforts will allow flies to make their way just south of the U.S./Mexico border.

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His department will be using a synthetic bait called “Swormlure Five,” which is engineered to smell like an open wound, attracting Screwworm flies to the bait
The network includes labs across the country that track diseases like New World Screwworm, which could see a rise in cases with hurricane season approaching.
“I want to say thank you to Sec. Brooke Rollins for using the science-based... information and making a good sound decision.”
“The border closure really was a political one; it wasn’t based upon animal health issues.”

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