USDA Set to Brief Reporters on New World Screwworm Threat, Eradication & Border Protection Efforts
Secretary Rollins, APHIS Administrator Michael Watson, and senior USDA animal health officials to provide updates
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins is scheduled to brief reporters Tuesday afternoon on the growing threat posed by New World Screwworm (NWS), a livestock pest that USDA has identified as one of its top animal health priorities. The press call, scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET, will include Rollins, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Administrator Michael Watson, USDA Chief Veterinarian Dr. Rosemary Sifford, and other senior animal health officials involved in the department’s response effort.
The briefing comes as USDA continues an aggressive campaign to prevent the parasite from advancing northward through Mexico toward the U.S. border. While USDA has not previewed any major policy announcements, officials are expected to provide updates on surveillance efforts, sterile fly production, border biosecurity measures, and coordination with Mexican authorities.
Industry participants will be closely watching for updates on USDA’s sterile fly program, which remains the primary tool for suppressing and ultimately eradicating NWS populations. The department has been expanding sterile fly production and release capacity, including development of a domestic production facility in South Texas and additional investments aimed at strengthening eradication efforts in Mexico.
The briefing could also provide insight into USDA’s assessment of current NWS detections in Mexico and whether the agency believes existing livestock import restrictions should remain in place. Earlier this year, USDA suspended imports of live cattle, horses, and bison through southern border ports after NWS detections moved farther north in Mexico.
Market participants will be particularly attentive to any indication that USDA plans to expand eradication efforts, tighten or modify import restrictions, commit additional funding, or has identified further movement of the pest toward the United States. Such developments could have implications for cattle markets and broader livestock industry planning.
The press call underscores USDA’s continued focus on keeping NWS out of the U.S. livestock herd, with department officials repeatedly emphasizing that prevention and early containment remain far less costly than responding to an established outbreak within the United States.
