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Texas state vet ‘not in panic mode’ after latest NWS case

The Texas state veterinarian says he’s not in panic mode after the latest detection of New World screwworm in Mexico earlier this week.

“But, we’re in preparation and awareness mode most definitely.”

Bud Dinges, executive director of the Texas Animal Health Commission, says the latest case involves a heifer that was moved to a feedlot only 70 miles from the Texas border. “Hopefully, it’s related to just animal movement and not an adult fly population (of NWS) in that area.”

Late Sunday evening, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said Mexico’s government detected the pest in the state of Nuevo Leon. Mexico’s government says the case was detected early, and the larvae were in an early stage, and there was no possibility of the fly emerging, minimizing the risk of NWS spreading in a “free zone”. 

He tells Brownfield the USDA, in conjunction with the state animal health commission, are using fly traps as surveillance between Brownsville and Del Rio. “I don’t know yet whether we’re going to increase the traps yet. We have over 100 traps out right now. We’ll have conversations in the days to come with USDA entomologists as to whether we need to increase the number of traps in certain areas.”

Dinges says there are more than 800 traps in the northern states of Mexico along the Texas border. “I haven’t heard if they’ve detected any flies that far north in Mexico.”

He says the state has inspectors on the ground monitoring for a different pest but are trained to spot a screwworm infection. “We are already doing inspections in cattle herds in that area on a daily basis that are involved the cattle fever tick eradication program. That’s one good thing to have in place along the border is that.”

Dinges says the fastest way to identify and combat NWS is for producers to increase inspections of their herds. He says his state also has an emergency plan ready to be activated if the pest is confirmed in the U.S. “We have been working with USDA on the New World screwworm response playbook. Rest assured to the citizens to Texas that if we have infestation tomorrow, we have a plan.”

Dinges is attending a New World screwworm conference in Kansas City, Missouri, this week. He says it provides an opportunity for the industry to discuss additional treatment and prevention methods. “Obviously, with the discovery of the case within 70 miles of our border, that speeds up the process.”

Dr. Bud Dinges: