Disease

Cattle Futures Hit Record Highs, Are $400 Feeders Next? Hogs Fall on Pseudorabies

Fri, 01 May 2026 16:06:08 GMT

Cattle, corn and soybeans higher Friday, with hogs lower.

Feeders Hit Record Highs, How High Will Prices Go?
Live cattle and feeder cattle futures were higher on Friday’s open and quickly moved into record high territory.

Scott Varilek of Kooima Kooima Varilek says tight supplies and a record cash market have supported the move to new highs.

Feeder are back as the leaders in the complex but how high will prices go now that prices are back up into record highs?

He says, “It does feel like, okay, live cattle had already made their contract highs. Feeders were next. So, what numbers can we grab? I’ve heard the $380. I’ve heard the $390. I’ve heard the $400. We’re all just reaching, making up numbers that we can. We’ve already seen eight weights spring $400 in sale barns in the North. So it’s not something out of the ordinary that can’t happen. So once we bust through, it feels like, yeah, they have the legs to do it.”

He stresses that this could be the last higher push for a while.

“We’re going to want to be ready for it. I think this is our last charge higher. I guess it’s feeling like we’re getting towards the ninth inning of this. I think we’ve probably heard that a few times, but this is a rally that is going to be the one that’s going to be the one that we’re going to want to sell, I guess. So the chance to get to $4 is there. It really could happen,” he adds.

Live Cattle Hit Record Highs First
Live cattle had already hit record highs earlier in the week and took out those levels again on Friday.

The market says some end of month profit taking Thursday but charged back higher Friday morning chasing cash.

Record cash trade broke already on Tuesday at $11, $12 higher than last week at $258 in the North, $255 to $256 in the South.

He says it caught the market by surprise, “I mean, that’s not something that’s normal. And it’s odd because when we were getting bid the $246, And the market wasn’t trading as hot as it was. I think the packers could have just went to $248 and bought all of the show lists and bought all
of the cattle. The fact that they waited another week, was it a shoot, you caught me bluffing move? Or was there somebody that’s really long, this board that wanted it to go higher? I don’t know and we won’t know. But regardless. Big charge higher, $12.”

He says bids started Tuesday at $250 and quickly went to $252 and then to $255.

“I thought that would do it. And then was just surprised when I started hearing that everybody was passing it and then get to $258, which a lot of people did get that and did trade that. You could get it for shorter. You could get two over the August for basis contracts. So, the packer was trying to get as many cattle around them as they can. And I would believe that everything on the show list, if you’re passing that kind of price, I don’t know what you’re waiting for,” he adds.

He hasn’t seen anything like it since 2014 but it was a big inventory grab and packers bought for delayed delivery as well.

Packers Buy Ahead of Kill Cuts
Packers were aggressively getting inventory as they are talking about kill cuts starting next week.

“Just hearing that there’s some majors that are going to start kill cuts next week, start to slow down the chain. And I mean, it’s just, it’s how tight we are. In this cattle industry, we’re, you know, 8% down, 8 to 9% down on steer to heifer slaughter this year. Cow slaughter is way down. Dairy cow slaughter is down. It’s just there’s still a shortage. So this last little push is all on supply, in my opinion. And I think that’s how the packer is trying to manage it,” he explains.

He says they are cutting kills to get boxed beef to move higher and improve their margins and the industry is still down a plant from a strike.

How High Will Live Cattle Futures Run?
Live cattle have continued to push into record high areas but how high will prices go?

Varilek says it is hard to even project because there are no technical areas on the charts to even compare to now.

“You’re up in new territory. You’re just grabbing, you know whatever number comes to your mind somebody wants to say a really high number so they can get remembered. I would rather try to do you guys some good rather than just make up a number up high and try to throw it to you that’s just that’s all made up,” he adds.

But he does say it depends not just on supply but demand.

“For me it’s just that this demand is going to have to pick up if we’re going to keep these live cattle running through and that’s the part that’s seeming to be just a little bit lacking. Seeing mixed feelings on what these steak cuts are doing. You know, the ribeye rolls are down. Usually we’re trying to, you know, see how high we can get those or how much a consumer is going to pay for them this time of year in the red hot grilling season, Mother’s Day weekend coming up and we’re actually dropping them a little bit. So I don’t like that,” he further explains.

Plus, he says with energy prices soaring it is hitting consumer pocketbooks which could also ratchet back demand.

Hogs Fall on Iowa Pseudorabies Case
Lean hog futures were down on Thursday and again Friday with the uncertainty tied to the first case of pseudorabies in a hog herd in Iowa since 2004.

“So it’s five boars that were shipped, you know, were. tested positive and some were shipped from Texas to Iowa. So sounding like it was show pigs, not sure. Can’t totally confirm that, but that would make sense on how that happened,” he says.

However, the disease is manageable according to Varilek.

“So we have vaccination capabilities already, protocol in place. So, for me it’s okay I think we’re going to be able to eradicate this once again and make this a short-lived kind of a worry here because it it is something that that’s real and I mean it’s something that can have you know
they could be dead within 48 to 72 hours. Hogs are a great host likely mixed with some feral hogs so it is around.”

Is it Bullish or Bearish?
Varilek says it does severely cut production which takes supply off the market which is bullish.

However, it is still a market uncertainty.

“So uncertainty is always bearish. Packers are trying to note some certain timeframes where they would kill hogs with pseudo rabies. So they were still entering, you know. you know, the meat supply. We weren’t worried about it back then. So because they had windows where you could slaughter those hogs. So a lot to digest here real fast. Everybody’s Googling pseudorabies and trying to learn as much as they can here real fast,” he adds.

Nov Soybeans Hit Contract Highs, Corn Also Higher
Corn and soybeans were higher early with November soybeans making new contract highs.

Varilek soybeans are following the new contract highs in bean oil.

“That seems to be the biggest thing, just the energy is staying so strong. And that’s making a lot of the headlines, the war. and how high crude oil is. So, I think that those markets are starting to respect that. I mean from a production side yeah you said more acres we’re seeing a little bit of replant we’ve got some frost. Which usually those rallies that are based off of frost and replant those are rallies that are meant to be sold. But I don’t think that that’s all of this I do think it’s energy,” he states.

Can Dec Corn Get Above $5?
Corn is also higher on the biofuels push with strong ethanol margins and profits.

With $100 crude oil corn could stay supported for a while and chew through some of the large ending stocks.

So will Dec corn get above $5?

Varilek says, “So we’ve got a bar right there, $5. We’ve seen it fail there a few times. Now I think if you just poke through it. I think you’re going to get some follow through strength on it just because it’s been such a number. Oh, that looks easy. Just sell it right below five bucks here and let it break. But those triple tops never hold, they kind of say. So I feel like we’re going to be able to get through it and might get some follow
through.”

He adds that the funds are long corn and the news may finally be good enough to rally the corn and grain markets.

Global Expansion of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Serotype SAT1 Raises Alarms

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:54:30 GMT

Recent reports of the emergence and spread of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) SAT1 serotype are highlighting a concerning shift in the global landscape of this virus. The Swine Health Information Center-funded Global Swine Disease Monitoring Reports, led by Dr. Sol Perez at the University of Minnesota, have highlighted the newly affected countries in monthly publications.

“For FMDV, immunity is serotype-specific, meaning infection or vaccination against a given serotype does not confer protection against a different serotype,” Perez says in a SHIC article.

A Rapid Geographic Shift

Historically, SAT1 was maintained within endemic locations in East and Southern Africa. However, in 2025, SAT1 demonstrated a “concerning expansion” beyond its traditional geographic range, with confirmed detections of two cocirculating subtypes across Western Asia and North Africa. The increasing circulation of SAT1 poses a growing risk to previously unaffected regions, including southeast Europe and potentially beyond. As this serotype expands its geographic range, it creates additional pathways for introduction into new regions and countries, increasing the overall likelihood of transboundary spread, Perez notes.

The Immunity Gap

The primary concern for animal health officials is that FMDV immunity is serotype-specific. Current vaccination programs in many affected regions target serotypes O, A and Asia-1. Because these vaccines provide no cross-protection against SAT1, livestock populations remain effectively susceptible, research shows. This “ecological space” has allowed SAT1 to spread rapidly through populations that were previously considered protected.

Drivers of FMD Transmission

SAT1’s expansion is likely due to several factors, Perez says.

Livestock Movement: Informal cross-border movement of small ruminants, which may carry subclinical infections, is a primary driver.
Environmental Pressures: Drought and land-use changes have increased contact between wildlife reservoirs and domestic herds.
Vaccine Limitations: A lack of SAT1-specific vaccine stockpiles and gaps in surveillance have hindered rapid response efforts.

FMD Implications for the United States

Although the U.S. remains free of FMD, the expansion of SAT1 into new regions of the world increases the complexity of global risk, Perez says. The emergence of two cocirculating subtypes (topotypes SAT1/I and SAT1/III) creates more pathways for the virus to enter the U.S. via international travel, contaminated animal products, or fomites.

“These global developments underscore the need to strengthen early detection and surveillance systems, maintain stringent biosecurity measures across livestock value chains, and ensure that vaccine preparedness strategies are sufficiently flexible to incorporate emerging serotypes such as SAT1,” Perez says.

For the U.S. pork industry, this serves as a critical reminder to maintain stringent biosecurity measures and support global monitoring efforts to prevent a domestic outbreak.

The Hardest Call in Cattle Health: When to Treat Disease

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 19:55:54 GMT

“Are we better off treating disease early or treating disease precisely?” Veterinarians of Kansas State University posed this question a recent episode of BCI Cattle Chat .

Deciding when to initiate treatment is one of the most consequential judgment calls in cattle health management. The tension between acting early and waiting for diagnostic certainty persists because there is no single correct approach. Each decision carries both biological and management consequences.

“To me, I’m looking at this and framing the question as should I be sensitive or specific in my diagnostic approach,” says Dr. Todd Gunderson, clinical assistant professor in beef production medicine at K-State.

A sensitive approach prioritizes catching disease early, accepting that some animals will receive treatment they might not truly need. A specific approach limits treatment to animals that clearly meet disease thresholds, reducing unnecessary intervention but increasing the risk of missing cases that would have benefited from earlier action. The trade-off is unavoidable.

Gunderson puts forth different clinical scenarios where either approach could be beneficial or detrimental.

“Treating scouring calves and, as a result, creating more scouring calves because I’m contaminating equipment, I’m contaminating my clothes … I’m overly aggressive at going into the calving pen,” he says.

On the other hand, waiting too long could negate any help treatment might offer.

“[If] I wait until the animal is at a pathological state where they have consolidation, they already have fibrinous pleuritis of the chest cavity or adhesion and fibrous attachments,” he says. “That animal has enough pathology that even if I kill every microbe in that animal’s system that’s causing disease, it would still not recover.”

Disease Treatment as a Dynamic Process

Rather than viewing treatment as a one-time, irreversible decision, a more effective framework treats intervention as a dynamic process. Choosing not to treat immediately does not mean choosing inaction; it means committing to close monitoring and reassessment over defined time intervals.

“I don’t get trapped into thinking that I have to make the decisions that I’m going to stick with,” says Dr. Bob Larson, professor in production medicine at K-State. “Let me make a decision today and act on it and then reassess it in 12 hours and reassess it in another 12 hours, and be flexible because I’m not good enough today to predict the next 12, 24, 72 hours and be right all the time.”

Repeated evaluations allow decisions to evolve as new information emerges, improving accuracy over time.

“Just because I acted doesn’t mean that now all my thinking is over,” Larson says. “If I act, I need to maintain vigilance, observations, reassess, be willing to change my mind.”

Make Decisions Based on the Herd

Treatment decisions should also be considered in the context of the group not in isolation. Individual animal signs can be ambiguous, but herd-level trends provide valuable context. During times of disease pressure, subtle changes might warrant treatment, while the same signs in an otherwise healthy group could justify continued observation.

“We sometimes take these decisions and try to make them in a vacuum, and you can’t do that,” says Dr. Brad White, Professor and Production Medicine Director of the Beef Cattle Institute at K-State. “Often, that individual animal is a part of a group. My expectations for that group today should impact my decision.”

This includes the recent health of the herd and the number of animals presenting as ill.

In addition, environmental and situational factors should further shape treatment thresholds. Weather conditions and recent stressors both impact disease risk and recovery potential. Incorporating these variables into treatment decisions expands diagnostic accuracy beyond the animal itself.

How Vet Visits and Biosecurity Shape Producers’ Views on Disease Preparedness

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:45:58 GMT

When it comes to animal health, what beef producers believe about disease risk can shape what they do about prevention. A recent study by Dr. Csaba Varga and his colleagues at the University of Illinois explored what influences how beef cattle producers in Illinois think about biosecurity, prevention and the threat of foreign animal diseases (FADs). The findings point to a simple, but powerful, truth: meaningful engagement with veterinarians and structured biosecurity evaluations can dramatically improve producer outlooks on disease preparedness.

The Survey

Between June and August 2022, researchers surveyed more than 500 beef producers across Illinois. They wanted to know how producers viewed disease prevention and the risk of FADs, and what factors might shape those views.

The team focused on three things:

Whether the farm had a biosecurity evaluation
Whether a veterinarian visited the farm
Whether the producer was willing to invest money in prevention measures

These factors were then compared to producers’ attitudes about disease risk and preparedness.

While the majority of respondents recognized infectious diseases could threaten their operations, attitudes toward the likelihood of an outbreak and the value of prevention varied widely.

Veterinarians Make a Clear Difference

The results showed producers who had regular veterinary visits were far more likely to think positively about disease prevention and awareness. That means simply having a vet stop by, even for routine herd checks, can strengthen a producer’s understanding of disease risk and increase confidence in prevention measures.

For veterinarians, this highlights the value of staying engaged with beef clients — not just for treatments or emergencies, but as trusted advisers on herd health and biosecurity. Every visit is a chance to start a conversation on prevention.

“Veterinarians should engage in proactive, ongoing communication with producers about the importance of biosecurity and disease prevention strategies,” Varga encourages. “Emphasizing the potential negative economic and herd health consequences of an FAD outbreak is also important to show producers the long-term benefits of investing in prevention measures. Biosecurity assessments and educating producers on how to assess their farm’s biosecurity vulnerabilities and recommend specific actions to address these gaps are also important, which were associated with better preparedness in our study.”

The Power of Biosecurity Evaluations

The same was true for producers who had a formal biosecurity evaluation. These producers were more likely to see prevention as worthwhile and to feel ready for a potential disease outbreak.

Biosecurity reviews help turn vague ideas into practical action. They pinpoint areas that need improvement, like managing visitors, animal movement, or feed deliveries, and make prevention feel achievable — rather than overwhelming.

For vets, helping producers complete or interpret these evaluations can be a simple way to boost awareness and strengthen farm-level protection.

Willingness to Invest Reflects Awareness

Producers who said they were willing to spend more money on prevention, whether through new equipment, facility upgrades or herd health programs, also tended to have stronger positive views on disease preparedness. Those same producers were also more likely to believe FAD outbreaks could happen in the U.S.. Awareness of risk seems to motivate action.

This suggests that honest, evidence-based conversations about disease threats can encourage producers to invest in prevention. When the risk feels real and relevant, preparation feels worthwhile.

Practical Takeaways for Vets and Producers

The message from this study is straightforward: regular veterinary engagement and structured biosecurity evaluations work. They improve understanding, confidence and readiness across beef operations.

For veterinarians and industry educators, practical steps could include:

Adding quick biosecurity check-ins to routine herd visits
Encouraging producers to join state or industry biosecurity programs
Showing how prevention pays off by reducing the cost and stress of disease events
Using real examples of outbreaks to make the importance of preparedness clear

Even small efforts can have lasting impacts when they come from a trusted voice.

While this study focused on Illinois, the lessons apply anywhere beef cattle are raised. With foreign animal diseases, such as lumpy skin disease and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza , posing threats, preparedness is a shared responsibility.

The more producers understand about prevention, and the more veterinarians engage them in those conversations, the stronger the industry becomes. Varga’s team has also developed an educational website where producers can access information on disease prevention, biosecurity best practices and FAD risks.

“Disease prevention is a shared responsibility,” Varga says. “For veterinarians, it means taking a proactive role in engaging producers through regular farm visits, biosecurity evaluations and education on emerging disease risks. For producers, it means recognizing that investing in prevention — whether through improved biosecurity, veterinary partnerships, or ongoing education — is more cost-effective than responding to an outbreak after it occurs.”

Ultimately, prevention isn’t just about protecting a single herd. It’s about building resilience across the entire beef community. That starts with everyday conversations between producers and vets.

Europe's Outbreaks Raise Alarms: Is Lumpy Skin Disease Headed Here?

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:43:17 GMT

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is making its way through Western Europe. There is a current outbreak in France with recent cases being reported along the Spanish border. First seen in Zambia in 1929, the disease has since spread north through Africa with outbreaks in Israel in 1989, the Middle East in the 2000s, and in 2013 it was detected in Turkey and the Balkans. Since then, LSD has been reported in Georgia, Russia, Bangladesh and China. LSD has never been detected in the Western hemisphere or Australia.

LSD is an infectious disease of cattle and water buffalo. It is characterized by firm, round nodules on the skin, mucous membranes and internal organs that can ulcerate, fever, emaciation, enlarged lymph nodes, skin edema, decreased fertility and can result in death. Cattle affected by LSD have exhibited physical weakness, reduced milk production, poor growth, infertility and increased abortion rates.

LSD is transmitted primarily through blood-feeding insect bites (flies, mosquitoes, ticks), but it can also be spread by direct contact between animals. Control relies on prompt detection, control of animal movement and vaccination.

While this virus is not a threat to humans, its production impacts on cattle can be severe. LSD morbidity can vary widely between herds depending on vaccination status. Mortality is usually low, but production losses result in an economic hit for producers due to decreased performance, costs of care and the potential for trade bans. In addition, secondary bacterial infections of the skin lesions can increase morbidity and extend recovery times. Because biting insects are the main transmission route, LSD risk is seasonal, increasing during warm, wet periods.

The Current LSD Situation

In 2025, several western and southern European countries that had been free of LSD reported their first confirmed outbreaks. Italy and France recorded initial cases in June, while Spain reported its first case this month. Last week, France banned cattle exports and bullfighting, while Spain announced a cull of affected animals and export limitations as LSD continues to spread.

La dermatosis nodular llega a España y frena el millonario negocio de vacuno con Marruecoshttps://t.co/WetPY0WLTI
— Efeagro (@Efeagro) October 15, 2025

Authorities in affected countries have implemented vaccination campaigns, movement controls and heightened surveillance. Regional and international bodies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health, have convened experts to coordinate a response and have put together information sheets to aid in the development of LSD Contigency Plans and to answer any LSD vaccination questions .

What the U.S. Needs to Know

To date, the U.S. has not reported endemic LSD in domestic cattle, but USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has developed standard operating procedures for the disease. This document is meant to bolster the preparedness of the U.S. for LSD occurrence and outlines the ecology of LSD, as well as information on vaccination and disease control. The FAO has also created an accredited veterinary LSD preparedness course .

The sudden appearance of characteristic skin nodules, concurrent fever or unexplained drops in milk yield should be treated as suspicious and warrant immediate reporting to state animal health officials.

The following are some practical points for producers and vets surrounding LSD:

Know the signs: Multiple round, firm skin nodules (sometimes with ulceration), fever, swollen lymph nodes and sharp milk production drops.
Report quickly: Early notification to a veterinarian and a state health official triggers tracing, testing and control measures that limit spread.
Vector reduction: Reduce insect breeding sites, use physical barriers (screens and fans), and consider using insecticides to lower transmission.
Movement control and biosecurity: Quarantine suspect animals, disinfect equipment and limit personnel traffic to reduce mechanical spread.
Vaccination planning: Where outbreaks have occurred, mass vaccination has been a key tool to control spread. No specific LSD vaccine is currently approved for use in the U.S. as it has not been prevalent here.

LSD is primarily an animal health and economic threat rather than a public health threat, but its expanding geographic reach over the past decade should put previously unaffected regions on alert.

New World Screwworm: The Billion Dollar Battle at the Southern Border

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:27:58 GMT

Nearly 60 years ago, the U.S. eradicated New World screwworm (NWS). Today, the risk of reintroduction is real. So real that Ethan Lane with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says it’s not a matter of if NWS will reach the U.S. but when.

“We need to spend $300 million now to save us $8 billion down the line in eradication costs,” says Lane, who serves as the senior vice president of government affairs. “This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s going to take years to re-eradicate New World Screwworm and push it back to Panama.”

As the fight to keep NWS out of the U.S. ramps up, the economic impact on ranchers and the industry is top of mind.

“Successfully eradicating New World screwworm from the U.S. in 1966 cost stakeholders’ tens of millions of dollars,” says TR Lansford III, DVM, deputy executive director and assistant state veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission. “The freedom from NWS provides an estimated $1 billion in direct benefits to livestock producers and $3.7 billion in benefits to the general economy annually.”

Financial Impact of NWS On Ranchers
Regular, large-scale outbreaks of NWS started occurring in the U.S. in the 1930s. According to APHIS, producer losses have reached:

1930s and 1940s — $5 million to $10 million per year
1950s and 1960s — $60 million to $120 million per year
1970s — $132.1 million per year (While the U.S. successfully eradicated the devastating pest, there have been outbreaks, primarily in Texas, since then.)

(APHIS)

Experts agree if NWS reaches the U.S., eradication today will be far more expensive due to the size of the cattle herd, speed and distance of cattle movement in commerce, and increased wildlife interfaces.

“Historically it cost tens of millions, and now it’s estimated to cost into the billions of dollars to eradicate this pest if it gets back to the U.S,” Lansford says.

Based on historical data from an isolated outbreak in Texas in 1976, per-head impact reached $452 in today’s dollars, totaling $732 million.

“[NWS] is a highly impactful foreign animal pest because it is expensive and deadly,” Lansford says. “Back in 1935, when screwworms were endemic in Texas, the state lost about 180,000 head of cattle alone in that year.”

Lansford says the industry will see decreased livestock production and increased veterinary services, medication, insecticide, labor and vehicle costs for the inspection and treatment of NWS.

“Infested wounds and/or mucous membranes and lesions created by this pest cause significant distress and damage to an animal, which can lead to chronic conditions making the animal less marketable and less productive in its lifespan,” he adds.

USDA Investment to Fight NWS
The reopening of Moore Air Base in Texas as a sterile fly distribution facility has an estimated price tag of $8.5 million. A brand new production facility, which would take two to three years to build would cost $300 to $600 million, depending on location and resources.

“That doesn’t include what it would cost to continue to operate one of those facilities,” Lansford says. “Certainly, research dollars also need to be spent to develop more effective treatments and other methods and modalities that we can use to help offset not only the infestations, but help prevent those infestations.”

USDA is also investing $21 million in the renovation of an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, to further the long-term goal of eradicating NWS.

Border Closing Impacts U.S. Cattle Industry
Since May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has suspended imports of live cattle, horses and bison from Mexico to keep NWS out of the U.S. Many U.S. cattle feeders depend on Mexican cattle to fill feedlots, especially now when the U.S. cattle inventory is at a 74-year low.

“Mexico exports, on average, 1.2 million head of cattle to the U.S. each year,” says Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian for NCBA.

Obviously, that number will take a hit with the border closed, but Simmons says even prior to the May 11 suspension, mitigation protocols for NWS, including wound inspections, for cattle from Mexico allowed less than 25% of the usual numbers to cross the southern border each month.

As the U.S. fights to limit the impact of NWS, it’s a long-term battle, reminds Lane with NCBA.

“They’re getting those flies on that leading edge of the incursion. As I understand it, that is slowing the advance in a way that is very good to see,” he says. “The fact is, there are just so many different vectors. There are so many different ways this thing can move north, and we’re going into the hot season where flies thrive. So it’s really about slowing it, about preparing and about making sure we have the resources to meet it and push it back down as quickly as possible. But certainly everyone’s trying to focus right now on trying to hold the line as much as humanly possible.”

As Lansford has come to realize: “This pest will be one that leaves quite a mark on our economy.”

Your next read: How to Win Beef Consumers’ Trust: Authenticity and Responding to Concerns

Rollins Rolls Out 5-Point Plan to Contain New World Screwworm

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 18:59:36 GMT

Today Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a five-pronged plan to combat New World screwworm (NWS) – a pest that would devastate ranchers if it made its way across the border.

Rollins made her announcement at the Moore Air Base facility near Edinburg, Texas. Moore was instrumental as a sterile fly production lab to rid the U.S. of NWS in the 1960s and 1970s. Hundreds of millions of flies were reared, sterilized with radiation and dropped from aircraft to eliminate the parasitic pest that preyed upon wildlife and livestock. According to a USDA spokesperson it will cost an estimated $8.5 million to get the base up and running as a distribution facility.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins this morning launched an $8.5 million sterile New World screwworm (NWS) fly dispersal facility in South Texas and announced a plan to enhance USDA’s already robust ability to detect, control, and eliminate this pest.

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)

According to the Texas Wildlife Association , there are currently more than 1,800 cases of livestock infestation in southern Mexico. The flies are moving north and are currently 600 miles from the south Texas border.

“We have defeated the screwworm before, and we will do it again,” Rollins says.

Here in McAllen, TX to announce a BOLD 5-pronged plan to combat the deadly parasite called New World Screwworm – which would devastate ranchers if it made its way across the border.

We are protecting producers, strengthening biosecurity, and ALWAYS standing up for American… pic.twitter.com/VHOlqZyZ9a
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 18, 2025

Her five-pronged plan to combat NWS includes:

Stop the pest from spreading in Mexico.
Rollins plans to continue partnering with her Mexican counterparts and using sterile insect technology to stop the spread. This includes investing $21 million to produce up to 100 million additional sterile flies weekly.

“We are first enhancing the international sterile fly production and investing $21 million in renovation of an existing fly facility in southern Mexico, which will provide up to 100 million additional sterile flies every week to stop the spread,” Rollins says.

Currently, the only sterile fly facility is located in Panama. It’s jointly run by the Panamanian government and the U.S. government. USDA had previously announced its plan to invest in the retrofiting of a fruit fly facility in Chiapas, Mexico, to produce additional sterile flies.

According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association , “The Chiapas facility produces about 117 million flies per week, but to form an effective barrier along the U.S. southern border, we need upward of 300 million sterile flies per week.”
Protect the U.S. at all costs.
Rollins temporarily closed the southern border to live animal imports and intercepting illegally introduced livestock. USDA is working closely with Mexico to improve surveillance.

“I do believe we have met and moved into a new era of productive partnership —perhaps better than ever before — with our Mexican counterparts,” Rollins says.
Maximize our readiness.
This will be achieved by partnering with state animal health officials to update emergency management plans and stockpile therapeutics for ranchers.
Take the fight to the screwworm.
The domestic fight includes establishing a sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base. Rollins says they are exploring options for building a domestic production facility at Moore that could produce up to 300 million sterile flies per week.

“We can’t get a brand new facility up and running probably before two or three years. So, that’s why we’ve got to really focus on the today,” Rollins explains.

She also announced USDA will be hosting listening sessions in affected areas starting next week.
Innovate Our Way to Eradication.
Leverage the sound science including USDA’s Agriculture Research Service (ARS) to continue to quickly develop novel treatments, preventatives and response strategies. Rollins says this includes working with land grant universities in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. She listed these key strategies during the press conference:
- Develop better fly traps and lures
- Provide local training
- Improve surveillance methods
- Create new response strategies

Nearly 80 lawmakers led by House Ag Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) sent a bipartisan letter on Tuesday to Rollins urging immediate action and promising congressional support for the significant funding required.

The letter included this message, “When looking solely at the historical impact of NWS in Texas, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) estimates a contemporary outbreak would cost producers $732 million per year and the Texas economy a loss of $1.8 billion. Extrapolating those results to the states within the historic range of NWS pre-eradication, a contemporary outbreak of NWS could cost producers $4.3 billion per year and cause a total economic loss of more than $10.6 billion. This does not account for the possible expansion of NWS beyond the historic range.”

U.S. Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) was at the announcement and recently shared in a letter to Rollins these key advantages of the Moore Air Base location:

Border proximity: The proximity to the border with Mexico is crucial for effective monitoring and control of potential incursions of invasive fly species. A facility in this region would allow for rapid response and containment, minimizing the spread of infestations into the U.S.
Existing agricultural infrastructure: The region boasts a robust agricultural sector with established infrastructure and expertise in livestock management. This existing framework would facilitate efficient integration of the sterile fly facility and streamline its operations. Additionally, Moore Air Base has operations runways equipped to distribute sterile flies.
Strategic location: Moore Air Base offers a central location for distribution of sterile flies to other areas in the southern U.S., if such a need arises. Additionally, this base was the site of a facility used in the 1960s to successfully combat NWS.
Economic impact: The establishment of such a facility would provide valuable economic opportunities for the region by generating jobs and stimulating local economies.

U.S. Congressman Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) summarized at the announcement, “This is important to the whole country. We are going to be aggressive about this, and we are going to make sure that we don’t get screwed by the screwworm.”

Your Next Read: Urgency in Action: We Must Eradicate New World Screwworm

7 Management Practices for BRD Mitigation

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:42:53 GMT

The threat of disease-causing bacteria, Mycoplasma bovis, has risen with the increase of comingling in confinement cow-calf operations, according to Vickie Cooper, DVM, a Zoetis beef technical services from Iowa.

M. bovis causes bovine respiratory disease (BRD), targeting beef calves, and leads to irreversible lung damage, mortality, and higher production costs, she adds.

The bacteria are present in the respiratory system of perfectly normal calves but become a bigger problem when calves face stressors such as transportation, commingling, entry into the feedlot, and weather changes, Cooper explains.

Although disease symptoms are similar, the nature of M. bovis makes this pathogen more challenging to detect and treat than other BRD-causing pathogens, she adds.

“Mycoplasma bovis operates a bit like a chameleon,” Cooper says. “The organism lacks a cell wall, and has variable surface proteins, so mycoplasmas can assume many forms and are very good at evading the calf’s immune system.”

The lack of a cell wall also makes treatment more difficult.

“Symptoms must be caught very early for treatment to be effective,” Cooper says. “Mycoplasmas will begin forming communities within the lung, and once those communities are formed, it becomes very difficult for an antibiotic to penetrate the lesion and control the mycoplasmas.”

Management practices for BRD mitigation include:

Minimize commingling where possible and segregate groups based on age, sex and arrival date.
Provide good ventilation and avoid overcrowding.
Maintain proper sanitation of equipment and pens.
Provide adequate nutrition with fresh feed and clean water.
Use low-stress cattle handling techniques.
Provide adequate shelter and avoid dusty environments.
Consult your herd veterinarian for operation-specific strategies.

“We need to focus on doing all of the small things well,” Cooper says.

She encourages producers to work with their herd veterinarian to identify opportunities for improving calf management to limit the risk of M. bovis and other disease-causing pathogens.

Preventing BRD caused by M. bovis through vaccination

Helping to prevent M. bovis infection includes focusing on a calf’s environment and a vaccination program.

“Depending on your management practices and disease prevalence, Protivity may be a great fit for your herd,” Cooper says. “But a solid vaccination program only works if other preventive practices that prioritize calf well-being are also in place.”

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Chinese Scientist Accused Of Smuggling ‘Potential Agroterrorism Weapon’ Into the U.S.

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:10:38 GMT

Two Chinese nationals have been charged with trying to smuggle a fungus, Fusarium graminearum, into the United States.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud.

The charges against the pair were unsealed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, on Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office references Fusarium graminearum online as a “dangerous biological pathogen … which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon.”

Fusarium graminearum causes significant diseases in a number of U.S.-grown food crops, including corn, wheat, barley, soybeans and rice.

Diseases caused include Fusarium head blight (scab) in wheat, and two corn diseases Gibberella ear rot and Gibberella stalk rot , which can lower yield and feed quality of silage corn, according to the Crop Protection Network, a partnership of land grant universities.

Toxins the fungus produces can cause vomiting, liver damage, reproductive defects and mycotoxin-induced immunosuppression in humans and livestock, including cattle, hogs, horses and poultry.

One Scientist Arrested, One Returned To China
The 25-page criminal complaint alleges Liu tried to smuggle the fungus through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DMA) in July 2024, so he could study it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, worked at the time.

Jian had been living in the U.S. and working at the university laboratory since 2022.

The roots of the case involving Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, stretch back to March 2024. That is when Liu applied for a B2 tourist visa to enter the U.S.

(The Detroit News and Sanilac County Jail)

According to the criminal complaint, Jian and Liu had both previously conducted work on the fungus in China.

Officials further allege Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen in China. They also claim she is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Jian, who was arrested by the FBI, remains in federal custody. On Thursday, her detention hearing was adjourned until 1 p.m. June 13 to allow time for a new defense attorney to get up to speed.

Liu was sent back to China last year after changing his story during an interrogation at the Detroit airport about red plant material discovered in a wad of tissues in his backpack, the FBI says.

The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu’s arrest unlikely unless he returns.

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

“It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals,” the university added. “We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution.”

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

(Michigan News Source)

Boyfriend Spills Intentions To Investigators
An article in The Detroit News said Liu told investigators during an interrogation at the Detroit airport he planned to clone the different strains and make additional samples if the experiments on the reddish plant material failed, according to the government.

“Liu stated that he intentionally hid the samples in his backpack because he knew there were restrictions on the importation of the materials,” an FBI agent wrote. “Liu confirmed that he had intentionally put the samples in a wad of tissues so CBP officers would be less likely to find and confiscate them, and he could continue his research in the United States.”

Liu told investigators he planned on using UM’s Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory to research the biological materials, the FBI agent wrote.

“Liu stated that, while he was in the United States, he would have free access to the laboratory at the University of Michigan on some days, and that other days his girlfriend would give him access to the laboratory to conduct his research,” The Detroit News article reported.

Before preventing Liu from entering the U.S. and sending him back to China, the investigators found messages between the couple that indicate Jian previously smuggled biological material into the U.S., the FBI agent wrote.

The messages are from August 2022 and discuss smuggling seeds into the U.S.

Lawmakers Respond To The Criminal Complaint
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the Justice Department “has no higher mission than keeping the American people safe and protecting our nation from hostile foreign actors who would do us harm.”

“Thanks to the hard work of our excellent DOJ attorneys, this defendant — who clandestinely attempted to bring a destructive substance into the United States — will face years behind bars,” the attorney general says.

“I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday.

(FBI)

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the arrest of Jian late Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter.

“This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences … putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”

U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon says the criminal charges against Jian and Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate its agricultural economy and cause harm to humans.

“This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners,” says Raybon in a prepared statement. “I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”

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Urgency in Action: We Must Eradicate New World Screwworm

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:00:12 GMT

New World screwworm (NWS) continues to threaten the U.S. cattle industry. The potential impact is devastating — the larvae can kill an animal in just four to seven days if not quickly detected and treated.

Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO, discussed the hurdles of controlling the spread of NSW on the latest episode of the “Unscripted” podcast .

“We have to eradicate it from here,” Woodall stresses. “We need to eradicate it from Mexico. We need to eradicate it from Central America. We need to push this thing all the way back down to South America.”

The NSW fly and its larvae are flesh-eating parasites that pose a significant threat to warm-blooded animals.

“This is not just a cattle issue,” Woodall says. “This could be dogs. This can be cats. It can get into people. So, anything that is warm blooded could be a host for this flesh-eating parasite.”

Woodall says NSW is approximately 700 miles from the U.S. border, having breached the isthmus of Mexico in the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, adding that Texas is expected to be the first point of entry if the fly continues to move north.

“We’re going to look at every eradication option possible, because we have to get rid of this thing,” he says. “This is not something that can become endemic to United States. We have to eradicate it from here.”

Woodall says the situation has been complicated by cooperation challenges with Mexico. Earlier attempts to transport sterile flies were hindered by bureaucratic obstacles, with planes unable to land and flies dying before deployment. This led Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to close the border, sending a clear signal to the Mexican government about the need for more serious action.

He explains cooperation has reportedly improved, with USDA teams planning to visit Mexico to assess the current situation. The primary strategy for control involves releasing sterile flies into the wild to disrupt breeding and push the population back southward.

Woodall says NCBA is actively working on several fronts to address the threat:

Pushing for the establishment of a domestic sterile fly production facility.
Exploring genetic engineering technologies for fly control.
Investigating treatment options (such as ivermectin) and helping producers understand how to detect and treat potential infections quickly. Woodall says treatment is possible, explaining ivermectin has proven effective in killing larvae and treating wounds. However, early detection is crucial due to the rapid progression of infection.
Conducting education and awareness campaigns to explain the threat without causing panic. He says misinformation has been a significant challenge. A recent false report about NSW in Missouri caused panic and temporarily impacted cattle prices. He adds that while the threat is serious, it’s not a cause for panic.

“While everybody needs to be aware, they don’t need to panic, and that’s the thing we want everybody to understand,” Woodall summarizes.

NCBA is taking an active role in addressing the threat of NSW through education, technological exploration, government collaboration and a clear commitment to preventing its spread.

Your Next Read: Secretary Rollins Announces $21 Million Investment to Renovate Fruit Fly Production Facility

Is That Cattle Herpes or a Rash?

Fri, 30 May 2025 10:33:11 GMT

A cow with signs of a urinary tract infection was treated by a veterinarian and then later developed bumps on her vulva. The veterinarian diagnosed the cow with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). Also known as “red nose,” IBR is a contagious viral disease caused by the bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1).

Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute experts discussed the diagnosis and cattle herpes during a recent “ Cattle Chat ” podcast.

K-State veterinarian Bob Larson says herpes is a common and highly contagious virus in cattle. The virus typically creates vesicles (small bumps) in two primary locations — the respiratory tract and the reproductive tract. These vesicles appear on areas such as the nose, penis, prepuce and vulva.

While the virus is widespread, clinical symptoms are relatively rare due to existing immunity from vaccines and natural exposure. However, when symptoms do appear, they can be significant. The most concerning potential complication is abortion, which can occur weeks after the initial infection.

Brian Lubbers, K-State veterinarian, says like human herpes, the cattle herpes virus can become dormant in nerve roots after initial infection. This means the virus can remain inactive and then reactivate under stress, similar to how humans experience cold sore recurrences.

The discussion highlighted how herpes can enter a herd, particularly in closed herds. In this case, a recently purchased bull likely introduced the virus. Most cattle herds already have animals that are carriers, making transmission relatively common.

Diagnosing IBR
The K-State veterinarians emphasized the importance of proper veterinary diagnosis. While the veterinarian suspected herpes in the example mentioned, Lubbers notes the need to rule out other conditions like trichomoniasis, which can cause similar reproductive tract symptoms.

He says the key diagnostic considerations include:

Examine the location and nature of bumps (external versus internal reproductive tract)
Check for additional symptoms like discharge
Conduct appropriate veterinary testing to confirm the specific disease

Management Strategies

The discussion included several management recommendations.

“Our vaccines for IBR herpes virus are pretty effective,” Larson says. “So, a lot of cattle have decent immunity to herpes virus, either from natural exposure or vaccines, or probably a little bit of both.”

If you suspect IBR after vaccination, Larson suggests reviewing and potentially updating current vaccination strategies.

“Recheck your vaccine protocol, make sure that you’re using the vaccines appropriately,” he explains.

He adds vaccinating during an active outbreak might not change the immediate outcome.

If a producer suspects IBR, they should closely watch the herd for potential abortion events in the weeks following the initial infection.

Selling Considerations

The experts addressed the concern about selling an infected cow.

“Lots of herpes carriers are getting sold,” Lubbers notes.

The K-State experts encourage producers not to sell one that is clinically ill and to consult sale barn regulations regarding disease-specific selling restrictions.

Proper understanding, veterinary guidance and proactive management can help producers effectively navigate cattle herpes.

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Secretary Rollins Announces $21 Million Investment to Renovate Fruit Fly Production Facility

Thu, 29 May 2025 16:18:32 GMT

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins shared an update this week on USDA’s ongoing partnership with Mexico to combat New World screwworm (NWS). As of May 11 , USDA has suspended Mexican cattle, horse and bison imports because NWS was found in Mexico within 700 miles of the border.

Rollins announced Tuesday USDA is investing $21 million to renovate an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, to further the long-term goal of eradicating NWS. When operational, the facility will produce 60 million to 100 million additional sterile NWS flies weekly to push the population further south in Mexico. Given the geographic spread of NWS, this additional production capacity will be critical to USDA’s response.

Also on Tuesday, Rollins had a call with her Mexico counterpart, Secretary Julio Berdegué, to discuss the ongoing NWS threat and actions taken by both countries to contain the threat south of the U.S. border.

“Our partnership with Mexico is crucial in making this effort a success,” Rollins says. “We are continuing to work closely with Mexico to push NWS away from the United States and out of Mexico. The investment I am announcing today is one of many efforts my team is making around the clock to protect our animals, our farm economy and the security of our nation’s food supply.”

Current restrictions on live animal imports from Mexico remain in place, and as previously announced, USDA will continue to evaluate the current suspension every 30 days.

The USDA press release says the agency and its partners have used sterile insect technique, or SIT, along with other strategies, such as intense surveillance and import controls, for decades to eradicate and effectively keep NWS at bay. Currently, U.S.-supported sterile insect rearing and dispersal operations in Mexico and Central America have been operating at full production capacity, with up to 44 flights a week releasing 100 million sterile flies.

False NWS Report Affects Market

On Tuesday, cattle markets reacted strongly to what USDA says was a false report claiming NWS had been found in the U.S. The erroneous report claimed it had been detected in Missouri.

USDA says if NWS is detected in the U.S, it will rapidly respond in coordination with state partners to eliminate it.

How to Detect NWS

What should producers be looking for? Officials say livestock owners should inspect animals for wounds and larvae within the wounds. Clinical signs include head shaking, loss of appetite, a foul smell (similar to decay), the presence of fly larvae and isolation. If larvae are detected, they must be reported to state officials.

To learn more about NWS, see the newly updated Texas A&M AgriLife NWS fact sheet .

Your Next Read: U.S. Suspends Mexican Cattle, Horse and Bison Imports Over Screwworm Pest

The Surprising Link Between Cattle, Cocaine and the Screwworm’s Comeback

Tue, 20 May 2025 18:13:38 GMT

The New World Screwworm (NWS), a parasitic fly once eradicated from North and Central America through decades of coordinated effort by governments and livestock producers, is making a troubling return — this time through a backdoor few anticipated: narco-funded cattle ranching. In parts of Central America, illegal ranching on protected lands has become a front for drug trafficking and money laundering. The ripple effects of this trend now threaten U.S. cattle producers with the resurgence of a deadly livestock pest.

The Screwworm Fly

The screwworm fly is incredibly damaging to livestock operations. It lays its eggs in even the smallest wounds where they grow into screw-shaped larvae that eat their hosts alive. If left untreated, a screwworm infestation can kill a cow in seven to 14 days. The cost to producers of monitoring for the fly, treating animals and losing animals to the fly was enormous. In the 1950s, screwworm infections cost American ranchers up to $200 million per year, equivalent to nearly $1.8 billion in today’s dollars.

Raymond C. Bushland (standing) and Edward F. Knipling (seated at microscope).

(World Food Prize Foundation)

So you can imagine everyone’s excitement when scientists discovered they could eradicate the fly with the sterilized insect technique (SIT). Raymond Bushland and Edward F. Knipling discovered that the female screwworm fly only mates with one male, while the male tries to mate with as many females as possible. The two scientists developed a technique of sterilizing male flies and releasing them in the wild to reduce the number of eggs and larvae. Ranchers worked closely with scientists, their local veterinarians and government agencies to identify infestations, treat them, and release sterilized male flies in their region. Over time, the fly was eradicated from the U.S., then Mexico, then all of the neighboring countries in Central America down to Panama.

Since 2006, the U.S. and Panama together have maintained a barrier zone of sterile male flies to prevent wild screwworm flies from South America from reinfesting Central and North America. At the same time, USAID staff helped maintain the barrier by working with local ranchers and veterinarians in Mexico and Central America. Their job was to monitor for the screwworm and ensure outbreaks were treated immediately to prevent further spread of the flies.

But the barrier is beginning to break now. According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), “In 2023, NWS detections in Panama exploded from an average of 25 cases per year to more than 6,500 cases in one year. Since then, screwworm has been detected in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Mexico, north of the biological barrier that’s successfully contained this pest to South America for decades.” Understanding the reasons why this is happening is critical to finding another long-term solution.

Current detection locations from USDA APHIS.

(USDA APHIS)

Cattle, Cocaine and Conservation Zones

At the heart of this issue is the rise of “narco-ranching.” Drug traffickers in countries like Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua purchase land, or more often move into biosphere reserves, clear forests and run cattle herds to launder profits from the drug trade. These cattle are smuggled northward through Mexico, bypassing health inspections and veterinary oversight.

Insight Crime’s 14-month-long investigation found that the illegal cattle market is a convenient way for drug traffickers to move their product north to the U.S., which continues to be the world’s largest consumer of cocaine. It’s also an excellent way to launder money and diversify their income sources by controlling land and timber resources that they can sell for additional income.

The illegal cattle trade is also fueled by Mexico’s domestic demand for beef and the growing global market as well. This creates an incentive for ranchers — legal and illegal alike — to scale up operations, even at the cost of forest loss and disease risk. Narco-ranchers can easily sell their cattle into this growing market, blending them with legitimate stock and bypassing the biosecurity checks that were key to screwworm eradication decades ago. The NWS thrives in these unsupervised conditions.

U.S. Funding Cuts and the Breakdown of Preventive Systems

The U.S. once played a central role in preventing problems like this. Through USAID and the USDA, it partnered with Central American governments on eradication programs, border inspections and sustainable rural development.

But with the start of the Trump administration, funding cuts have undermined these systems:

USAID anti-drug programs in Colombia and Peru have been suspended or reduced, withdrawing support for legal rural industries and crop substitution. (AP News)
In Colombia, over 80 programs connected to peacebuilding and anti-coca strategies were shut down in early 2025. (Reuters)
Funding and coordination around veterinary inspection and vector control — key to screwworm surveillance — have also dwindled, leaving gaps at exactly the time smuggling is expanding.

These funding cuts have eroded local alternatives to illicit economies, strengthened criminal control of remote territories and opened new routes for screwworm resurgence.

Implications for U.S. Ranchers and the USDA’s Response

Today, Texas and other border states remain at risk from reinfestation, particularly if infected animals cross undetected. Wildlife — especially white-tailed deer, feral hogs and stray dogs — could serve as hidden hosts, complicating containment. And as seen in a recent case in Chiapas, Mexico, authorities can be slow to detect outbreaks until the flies have already spread.

The Chiapas outbreak caused the U.S. to suspend live cattle imports from Mexico on Nov. 22, 2024. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins lifted that suspension on Feb. 1 after implementing new inspection protocols. The U.S. also coordinated with Mexico to begin aerial drops of sterilized male flies in outbreak areas and areas of concern. On May 11, Rollins reinstated the suspension. The suspensions are subject to monthly reviews, with USDA emphasizing the importance of containment and eradication efforts in Mexico to ensure the safety of U.S. livestock.

Here’s what it could mean for the U.S. cattle industry and consumers:

Supply Chain Disruptions. Mexico has historically been a substantial supplier of feeder cattle to the U.S., with annual imports averaging over 1 million head. The sudden halt in imports disrupts feedlot operations, particularly in border states like Texas and Arizona, where producers rely on a steady influx of Mexican cattle to maintain production levels. This disruption forces feedlot operators to seek alternative sources, often at higher costs.

Increased Operational Costs. With the suspension in place, feedlot operators must procure cattle from domestic sources, which could be limited due to existing herd sizes and regional availability. This scarcity can drive up the prices of feeder cattle, increasing operational costs for producers, according to Brownfield Ag News .

Rising Consumer Prices. The U.S. is reliant on Mexican cattle imports to meet domestic demand. In 2024 alone, the U.S. imported over 2 million head of cattle, approximately 1.25 million of which came from Mexico, USDA data shows. The combination of disrupted supply chains and increased operational costs contributes to rising beef prices for consumers. Analysts predict that if the suspension continues, consumers could see noticeable price hikes at grocery stores and restaurants by summer 2025, according to Parriva .

Compounding Factors: The suspension exacerbates existing challenges in the beef industry, such as declining cattle inventories and increased production costs. For instance, Tyson Foods reported a $258 million loss in the second quarter of 2025, attributing part of the loss to reduced cattle supplies and increased costs, according to Straight Arrow News .

Market Volatility: The uncertainty surrounding the duration of the import suspension contributes to market volatility, affecting futures prices and planning for producers and retailers alike.

A Policy Link Often Ignored

This is not simply a story of pests or parasites — it is a case study in how interconnected drug policy, rural development and environmental security really are.

By cutting U.S. support for forest protection, Indigenous land rights and alternative economies in Latin America , we’ve created conditions where narco-networks flourish —and the tools to fight old enemies like screwworm have been quietly dismantled.

The reemergence of the NWS isn’t just a veterinary concern — it’s a warning. As forest ecosystems collapse, Indigenous communities are displaced and cattle laundering spreads unchecked, U.S. ranchers and farmers are left vulnerable to a preventable threat.

Reinvesting in international partnerships, sustainable development and biosecurity programs isn’t charity — it’s strategic self-preservation.

Kathy Voth is founder, editor and publisher of On Pasture .

Your Next Read: Secretary Rollins Takes On a Global Agenda for U.S. Agriculture

How Wet Pastures Trigger Foot Rot and What You Can Do

Thu, 15 May 2025 15:20:32 GMT

When areas receive large amounts of rain, pastures are muddy, soggy, and standing in water. These conditions can increase the likelihood of “foot rot” in grazing cattle. Mechanical injury, cuts, bruises, puncture wounds or severe abrasions of the foot will damage the skin in the interdigital (between the toes) area and predispose an animal to infectious agents. Fusobacterium necrophorum is the bacterium most often isolated from infected feet.

Lameness is usually the first sign of an infected animal, varying from hardly noticeable to severe. Lameness is typically followed by reddening of the interdigital tissue and swelling of the foot, causing spreading of the toes. One or more feet may be affected simultaneously. Spreading of the dewclaws due to swelling is a classic sign of foot rot.

Treatment of foot rot is usually successful particularly when diagnosed early. The interdigital tissue should be cleaned and disinfected. Most cases respond readily to systemic antimicrobial therapy, administered the first days of diagnosis. If treatment is not initiated until later in the process, multiple treatments may be necessary. Visit with your veterinarian to determine the best antibiotic treatment for your cattle that have become infected with foot rot.

Prevention and control of foot rot begins with management of the environment. Management practices that help reduce interdigital trauma will help decrease the incidence of foot rot. Important preventative measures include a well-balanced mineral nutrition program and minimized exposure to conditions that can cause skin or hoof injury.

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U.S. Cattle Industry Urges Mexico's Border to Remain Closed Over Spread of New World Screwworm

Tue, 13 May 2025 20:26:18 GMT

New World screwworm (NWS) has been detected in Mexico only 700 miles from the U.S. border. With the impending threat, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says it’s not a matter of if the U.S. gets the deadly pest — but when.

Mexican officials said Tuesday they won’t close the southern border to cattle from Central America, but the U.S. cattle industry strong supports USDA’s decision over the weekend to suspend cattle, horse and bison imports from Mexico , saying the 15-day suspension will likely be extended due to Mexico’s lack of action so far.

NWS Detected 700 Miles From the U.S.
It’s an issue that started in November. The detection of NWS in Chiapas, which is near the Guatemala border, caused USDA to close the border to cattle imports. While shipments resumed in February, USDA says Mexico isn’t doing enough to eradicate the invasive pest, causing an even greater threat to the U.S. cattle industry. And now NCBA wants the U.S. to ramp up efforts as well.

“When we discovered New World screwworm flies in the southern border of Mexico right before Thanksgiving back in November, at that point in time, USDA provided counsel, they provided some money to help the Mexican government try to stop the incursion of the fly,” Colin Woodall, CEO of NCBA, told AgriTalk’s Chip Flory.

“But unfortunately, because of the ineptitude of the Mexican government, quite frankly, the corruption of the Mexican government, the inability to actually allow the planes that are carrying the sterile males to land and to be able to do their job, they have now come further north,” Woodall says. “And right now we know that New World screwworm flies have been detected just 700 miles south of the U.S. Border.”

Woodall told AgriTalk’s Flory that the pest is now way too close for comfort.

Mexico Won’t Close Mexico/Central America Border
According to Reuters, Mexico’s agriculture minister said on Tuesday it will take a long time to eradicate the pest. While the officials said they won’t close Mexico’s southern border to cattle from Central America, Mexico will tighten the flow of cattle from the south of the country to limit the potential spread of the screwworm.

“We are going to be restricting cattle movement from the south of the country much more tightly,” Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue said on Tuesday, adding that “closing the border is a complex issue that needs to be carefully analyzed, because it also impacts the national meat supply.”

MEXICO AGRICULTURE MINISTER:

WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO ERADICATE SCREWWORM FROM MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA
— PiQ (@PiQSuite) May 13, 2025

Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, spoke with Drovers about the geography of southern Mexico and how the NWS has been able to move further north.

“Mexico has that narrow point down there at the bottom, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, then to the east of it is the Yucatan Peninsula. To the west is the rest of Mexico, and that narrow gap is, historically, where we established the boundary way back when,” Peel explains. “When we initially controlled screw worm in the U.S., we pushed it down through Mexico and got it past below that isthmus, and that was the boundary for years. Then we eventually got it down to Panama, but it got away from them. In Panama, it came back up through Central America, and now that’s the reason we closed the border. It’s actually jumped past that isthmus and is into a part of Mexico now where it’s going to be increasingly difficult to contain it, just physically. That’s the concern and the reason for this latest action.”

NCBA Blames Corruption in Mexico’s Government
Woodall told AgriTalk the country has poorly managed the situation so far and was pointed with his words, saying it’s because of the Mexican government’s failures that Rollins stepped up and closed the border on Sunday to “send a very clear signal that they have failed, and they’ve got to step up their approach.”

“We do know that the first meeting to review the ban is in about 15 days, and then it’ll be reviewed on a month-by-month basis,” Woodall said on AgriTalk. “That’s what the secretary has said. But unless they do something miraculous as far as changing the approach that they are taking in trying to address this in Mexico, I doubt that it’ll be lifted in 15 days just because of what we’ve already seen. They’ve had six months to step up here and try to address it, and they’ve fumbled the ball.”

“They’ve had six months to step up here and try to address it, and they’ve fumbled the ball.”

Colin Woodall, Chief Executive Officer, NCBA

The corruption claims are rooted in what the U.S. has experienced over the past several months. As the U.S. has tried to ramp up efforts to help stop the spread, Woodall told Flory that there have been instances where the government wouldn’t allow U.S. planes to fly over impacted areas, or not allow those planes to land.

“Will they allow that without additional hurdles or trying to extort money from these planes?” Woodall says. “Will they be true cooperators in helping us get those sterile flies delivered into the country? And can we show that there is a check in their northern approach? If we can look at some things like that, then we’ll be willing to go back to the table, because as I said, we know that this is an economic impact on us, but it’s also a pest that we do not want here domestically.”

The Risks of NWS If It Enters the U.S.
The risks are high. Not only is the U.S. beef cattle herd the smallest in more than 60 years, NWS can be lethal to other species.

“We have to be prepared, and that’s why I talked about it. We need to make sure producers understand what to look for because if you don’t catch it fast, you’re going to lose that animal,” Woodall says. “Also this is not just a cattle issue; we’re talking all warm-blooded animals. This can be on birds. This can be on hogs. It can be in pets like dogs. And it can be in people. So, this is going to be a significant issue that we have to deal with not just as a cattle industry, but us in agriculture because I think it also could look really bad from an optics standpoint if somebody’s dog gets screwworms and they want to blame us as agriculture for being responsible for it.”

“This is not just a cattle issue; we’re talking all warm-blooded animals. This can be on birds. This can be on hogs. It can be in pets like dogs. And it can be in people.”

Colin Woodall, CEO of NCBA

Woodall says NWS is a nasty parasite. It hasn’t been in the U.S. since the 1960s, but the reason it’s so difficult to manage is it lays larva, and the larva dig into the flesh of the animal, basically eating the flesh.

“That’s how it develops,” Woodall says. “And so, if it’s not treated, within four to seven days, you can lose an animal. This is a significant animal health issue.”

Currently, there’s a sterile fly production facility in Panama. Jointly funded by the U.S. government, the facility produces a little more than 100 million sterile flies a week, according to Woodall.

“Now, when we were dealing with this down in southern Mexico, 100 million were enough to be able to stop it,” he says. “But now that they have gone through that phytosanitary border and are coming north, that’s no longer going to be enough. We do not have enough sterile flies.”

NCBA Is Working with Congress and USDA to Ramp Up Sterile Fly Production Domestically
NCBA is talking to both USDA and Congress about building a sterile fly production facility in the U.S. When NWS was a problem in the U.S. more than 60 years ago, there was a production facility based in Texas.

There is legislation to do just that. The STOP Screwworms Act was introduced by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). It would fund the opening of a new sterile fly facility in the United States, with the legislators saying the bill would help protect both livestock and human health from the New World screwworm.

“One of the things that we’re also talking to the secretary about and also with Congress is how do we have the funding to build a sterile fly production facility here in the United States because that is the only way we’re going to stop these flies, get them out of the United States, out of Mexico, and ultimately push back into South America,” he says.

“One of the things that we’re also talking to the secretary about and also with Congress is do we have the funding to build a sterile fly production facility here in the United States?”

Colin Woodall, CEO, NCBA

He says in the ‘60s, it took more than 400 million sterile flies a week to eradicate the issue.

“We are focused on getting the domestic production up and running as quickly as possible, so is Secretary Rollins,” Woodall says. “She’s doing a tremendous job in leading this effort. This is something that she has taken on personally. And so I have a lot of faith in her and her willingness to help us as an industry push back this pest, eradicate it as quickly as possible and try to get back to normal training.”

Groups like the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) also support a bill to protect the U.S. from NWS.

“The STOP Screwworms Act is a vital step in protecting the U.S. cattle herd from the growing threat of the New World screwworm. This legislation provides USDA the support needed to construct or retrofit domestic sterile fly production infrastructure which Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association believes is essential in preventing a widespread outbreak,” President Carl Ray Polk Jr. said in a statement. “We are grateful to both Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Gonzales who understand the importance of acting quickly to support cattle raisers and ensuring the threat of the New World screwworm is taken seriously at the highest levels in Washington.”

Read More: U.S. Suspends Mexican Cattle, Horse and Bison Imports Over Screwworm Pest

A New Approach to Deworming

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:15:00 GMT

When it comes to treating internal parasites, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Understanding the environment and knowing what parasites are active at different times of the year are important when creating a deworming plan, says Wayne Ayers, DVM, technical consultant veterinarian with Elanco.

“Cattle on an irrigated pasture are completely different than cattle coming off the desert,” he says. “We need to consider how parasites’ life cycles relate to the season to determine how we want to approach control.”

Why Deworm?
There are 15 different internal parasites, four or five of which cause the most economic loss. The brown stomach worm tops the list, specifically in young stock.

“When the brown stomach worm is present, it’s important to choose an anthelmintic dewormer because their larvae can inhibit and overwinter leading to a secondary disease called Type 2 Ostertagiasis,” Ayers explains.

Internal parasites cause digestive issues in the abomasum, which can lead to permanent damage.

“Young stock that have a heavy infection of inhibited larvae and go through a Type 2 disease can become less efficient because of damage to the abomasum that develops scar tissue,” he says. “We want to kill them before they come out because that’s when they cause damage.”

White wormers (benzimidazoles) work well at killing adults in the GI tract, he adds. The two subclasses of the macrocyclic lactone group, avermectins and milbemycins, do a good job of killing both adults and larvae.

“The youngest cattle are at the most risk because they get everything that’s out on the pasture and possibly in relatively high numbers. Their immune system has not been exposed to these parasites to develop any kind of immunity to the larval stages or even the adult stages,” Ayers explains.

“The older an animal gets, the more times they’ve seen it, and their immune system will actually suppress the infections and decrease the egg laying capacity of the females that reside in the GI tract,” he adds.

Resistance is on the Rise
At one time, the industry was convinced cattle should be dewormed every time they ran through the chute.

That approach might have worked in the 1980s when ivermectin came on the market, Ayers says, but it’s not a good practice today because resistance is developing.

When parasites are exposed to the same chemical over and over again, or the dosing isn’t correct, the last parasite remaining will have a high tolerance for the drug or be resistant all together. An infection sets in because of the tolerant or resistant parasite, leading to poor treatment response and a poor return on investment.

“I have a saying: ‘What’s in my cow is what’s on my pasture, what’s on my pasture is what’s in my calf, and what’s in my calf is what causes me economic loss. The losses aren’t from the cows.’”

Dr. Wayne Ayers

While there are situations when cows must be treated at certain times of the a year because of heavy parasites, it’s not common as the cow’s immune system usually limits parasite infection.

“It’s certainly not common across the northern part of the U.S. where we have the benefits of cold winters or in the Southwest that experiences hot, dry summers. These weather extremes don’t favor larvae survival,” Ayers says. “Unfortunately, in the Southeast, the long warm and humid summers favor the larvae.”

In addition, he says the larval load can vary from pasture to pasture. For instance, a large Bureau of Land Management or Forrest Service-type allotment will generally have a lower larval load than an irrigated pasture on the same ranch.

Foot And Mouth Disease: Producers Should Be Prepared

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:19:00 GMT

With the World Health Organization for Animal Health confirming outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany on Jan. 10 and Hungary on March 6, 2025 , it’s important for producers to be aware of the risks of this disease, especially if — or when— it were to appear in the U.S.

“Foot and mouth disease, while harmless to us as human beings, is a highly contagious viral disease on animals with cloven-hooves, including cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,” says Meranda Small, Idaho State BQA Coordinator. “It also has the ability to impact and equally affect wildlife species such as deer, elk and bison, giving them the opportunity to move the disease across state lines and from one location to another.”

Barry Whitworth, DVM, Oklahoma State University Extension Veterinarian, says there are seven known serotypes of the Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV).

“The large number of serotypes makes vaccine development difficult since immunity to one serotype does not protect against others,” he explains. “The disease is not a public health threat, however, it can spread easily and cause severe economic hardship.”

How is FMDV transmitted?
FMDV can be found in all fluids excreted from infected animals, including saliva, urine, feces, fluid from vesicles, semen, amniotic fluid, and aborted fetuses. Expired air from infected animals can transmit the virus in the right environment. The virus can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, and direct contact with infected animals and the virus can also be spread by contaminated objects and feed, Whitworth says.

What are the clinical signs of FMD?
Clinical signs of the disease can vary between species and the most common clinical sign are blisters or vesicles on the tongue, gums, teats, and the interdigital space of the hooves. In addition, fever, loss of appetite, excessive drooling or salivation, lameness, and decreased milk production in dairy animals are common symptoms, Whitworth shares.

In severe cases, particularly in young animals, FMD can cause heart inflammation, leading to sudden death. Most adult animals recover in two to three weeks. Although, some animals never return to full production or have permanent issues such as hoof malformation, chronic lameness, chronic mastitis, and weight loss, adds Whitworth.

“FMD is a difficult disease to control,” Whitworth says. “Most animals in the U.S. are very susceptible to FMD. If an outbreak were to occur in the U.S., the disease could spread rapidly, unless detected early and eliminated.”

The U.S. has not seen a case of FMD since 1929. Through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) works the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection to screen cargo at the border to help with prevention. The U.S. restricts importation of animals and animal products from areas affected by FMD. APHIS deploys veterinarians worldwide to assist other countries in their efforts to control and eradicate the disease, Whitworth explains.

“If a case of FMD occurs in the U.S., livestock producers will probably be the first to see it,” Whitworth says. “For this reason, livestock producers should be familiar with the clinical signs of the disease. Any suspicious signs should be reported to a veterinarian.”

Resources for Livestock Producers
Due to the severe economic impact FMD would have on the U.S. food supply, resources have been put together to help producers.

“FMD is a constant threat to the U.S. livestock industry,” Whitworth says. “An outbreak would have significant economic consequences. U.S. cattle producers should remain vigilant at keeping this disease out of the U.S.”

Through the securebeef.org website, producers can find resources to create a five-step contingency document. It addresses cattle inventory and potential movement, financial planning, enhanced biosecurity, communication and cattle health management.

Sergio Arispe serves as Oregon State University Extension livestock and rangeland field faculty and associate professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences. He helped develop resources for livestock producers .

“The purpose of traceability is for transparency, not only within the livestock industry, but with our trade partners as well,” Arispe says. “Movement permits demonstrate that steps have been taken to safely move animals or products.”

Read more: Secure Food Supply Resources Available to Livestock Producers

Slovakia Records First Foot-and-Mouth Cases, Minister Says

Keep BVD Out of Cattle Herd

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:45:09 GMT

Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) can be a serious and costly disease for cattle producers causing reduced reproductive performance and increased premature culling. Herds may experience abortions, infertility, and/or embryonic deaths. BVD symptoms can include bloody diarrhea, high fever (105–107 ºF), weight loss, mouth ulcers and often pneumonia.

An article by Cornell University offers these management reminders to help producers protect their herds from the virus causing BVD and BVD-PI (persistently infected) animals. An effective BVDV prevention program is based on maximizing immunity and minimizing exposure of the herd to the virus.

Maintain a strong herd vaccination program against BVD at all times. A good vaccination program will prevent illness in most vaccinated animals. When deciding which vaccine to use, consider the vaccine program of the herd of origin. If that herd is well vaccinated, one dose of killed BVD vaccine should be sufficient. If it is not well vaccinated, or if the history is unknown, two doses of killed (2 weeks apart) or one dose of modified-live vaccine (non-pregnant animals only) would be indicated.

Be aware when purchasing replacement animals through an auction market. Animals can be exposed to other BVDV-infected animals as they pass through the market. In addition, they can be stressed at this time, which lowers their immunity. It is possible they will be incubating and/or shedding the virus when they arrive at the farm. The fetuses of pregnant animals moving through market situations are at risk of infection to become persistently infected or for abortion.

Quarantine new animals seven to 21 days before introducing into herd. If new additions are first placed in an isolation facility, animals incubating disease will become apparent before they have an opportunity to expose the entire herd. A common history associated with herd outbreaks of BVD is that one or more new animals entered the herd about one week before the first case appeared.

Test new additions to the herd to make sure they are not BVDV carriers. BVDV carriers shed so much virus they will likely overwhelm even the best vaccination programs. Since exposure to BVDV from any source can result in a cow giving birth to a BVDV carrier, one can never be sure an animal is not a carrier until it tests negative. Therefore, it is recommended that all purchased cattle be tested before entering the herd, and all newborn calves be tested.

Before turning bulls out for natural service, test for BVD or purchase bulls from a breeder with a BVD PI-free herd. If natural service is being used, semen can be infected with BVDV if the bull was recently infected or is persistently infected. It is extremely unlikely for semen from certified artificial breeding establishments to contain virus, since these organizations screen all their bulls for BVD infection.

Create a biosecurity plan. It is also possible for cattle to become infected via contact with contaminated fomites, such as water buckets, calf feeders, feed bunks, IV equipment, nose leads, clothing or people and cattle trucks.

Read more:
BVD-PI Testing to Protect Profits

BVD Is Alive And Well

USDA Maintains Cattle Imports Amid Second New World Screwworm Case in Mexico

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:29:31 GMT

USDA announced it will not impose new restrictions on cattle imports from Mexico despite the latest detection of New World screwworm in a cow from Tabasco state. The decision follows the agency’s implementation of a pre-clearance inspection and treatment protocol, which aims to ensure safe livestock movement and mitigate screwworm risks. This comes after a previous screwworm case prompted Washington to halt Mexican cattle shipments in November, exacerbating already tight U.S. cattle supplies.

On Feb. 1, USDA’s APHIS announced the resumption of cattle and bison imports from Mexico under a new comprehensive protocol. With herd levels at a 74-year low and high beef prices, traders had speculated during Tuesday trading that another import ban might follow, briefly driving up feeder cattle futures.

The new comprehensive protocol includes:

Pre-export inspection pens in San Jeronimo, Chihuahua, and Agua Prieta, Sonora
Multiple veterinary inspections and treatments
Insecticide dipping of approved animals
Final APHIS inspection before crossing at designated ports of entry
The United States and Mexico have been working to approve additional pre-export inspection pens and reopen trade through other ports of entry.

APHIS has allocated $165 million in emergency funding to protect U.S. livestock, pets, and wildlife from the NWS threat. The agency is also collaborating with partners in Mexico and Central America to eradicate the parasite and restore the biological barrier in Panama, including the deployment of sterile flies to control the screwworm population.

More Action Needed By Mexico Before Reopening Border for Feeder Cattle Imports, Says Vilsack

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 20:54:32 GMT

A letter sent Friday by outgoing USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture Julio Antonio Berdeguê acknowledges the progress made in reopening cattle trade between the two countries following the detection of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, but says more action is needed to resume trade.

Key developments:

Technical collaboration between U.S. and Mexican teams
Full technical agreement on protocol reached on Dec. 12, 2024
Ongoing work to approve pre-export NWS inspection facilities.

Vilsack emphasizes the importance of expediting the approval process for these facilities to resume safe export as soon as possible, citing the significance of trade for a safe and affordable food supply.

The letter also addresses efforts to combat the spread of New World Screwworm:

Emergency funding has been authorized to increase sterile fly production
Production has increased fivefold in the past year
Enhanced regional response through increased dispersal, surveillance, education, and partnerships
Acknowledgment of Mexico’s partnership in sterile fly releases, movement controls, and surveillance
Shared goal to push the pest south to the Darien Gap

Vilsack requests immediate support from Secretary Berdegué for the establishment of two planned sterile fly dispersal centers in Southern Mexico to strengthen current efforts.

The letter maintains a cordial and cooperative tone throughout, emphasizing:

Shared commitments and goals
Acknowledgment of Mexico’s efforts and partnership
Expressions of gratitude for collaboration
Requests for continued support and expedited action

Industry sources say specific testing will take place Monday, Jan. 20, and that and other tests will go a long way in establishing a trade resumption timeline.

NWS Trade Impacts Started in November
As previously reported, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) suspended imports of live cattle and bison from Mexico on Nov. 22, 2024, following the detection of New World screwworm (NWS) along Mexico’s southern border. This pest can have a significant negative impact on cattle health, and U.S. authorities have been working to develop protocols to screen animals coming into the country.

Several factors are influencing the timeline and pace of reopening:

Facility inspections: Both countries have agreed on protocols, but implementation requires facility inspections and approvals.
Quarantine period: A seven-day quarantine after animal checks
Port readiness: The most important port to get moving again is Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

The temporary suspension of cattle imports from Mexico has had notable effects on the U.S. cattle market:

Reduced supply: About 250,000-300,000 fewer head of cattle are estimated to have been imported due to the suspension.
Price support: The trade disruption has been supporting feeder cattle and calf prices in the U.S.

Protecting the Herd from New World Screwworm

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 23:49:29 GMT

by Kim Brackett, NCBA Policy Division Chair

Every cattle producer knows that pests are a challenge to our operation, but some pests are far more dangerous than others. One of the new threats to our herd comes from the New World screwworm, which is currently advancing through Central America into southern Mexico and could soon be at our border.

The New World screwworm (NWS) is a fly that has a particularly gory way of harming our cattle. Female NWS flies lay their eggs in open wounds or body orifices and when the larvae hatch, they burrow deep into the skin like a screw driving into wood. These maggots feed on cattle’s tissue, causing larger wounds as they go.

NWS flies and their burrowing larvae cause extensive damage to cattle and infestations can spread rapidly. In 1966, we eradicated screwworms in the United States through sterile insect technique. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) bred sterile male NWS flies that mated with wild female screwworms and failed to produce offspring. Eventually, these flies died out in the U.S. and now they only exist in a handful of South American countries.

Unfortunately, these flesh eating flies are now on the march north.

Since 2022, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of New World screwworms in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. Just last month, screwworms were discovered in southern Mexico, which raised red flags for us at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Once in Mexico, it is easy for screwworms to travel north and appear on our southern border. These flies can hitch a ride on people, livestock, or wild animals, not to mention the thousands of vehicles and cargo containers traveling through Mexico to the United States.

We know how devastating it would be if New World screwworm returned to the United States, which is why NCBA is raising the alarm now. First, we are communicating with Mexico’s cattle industry leaders so they can begin the process of screening for these flies and push for eradication efforts in their country. We are also supporting USDA-APHIS to bolster the use of sterile flies. Recently, we have been concerned that our existing sterile flies might not be getting the job done, and NCBA is pushing for more flies and better flies that will help us beat back these pests.

Although we haven’t confirmed any New World screwworms in the United States, we need you to be on high alert. New World screwworms have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body, and three dark stripes across their backs. If you see any suspicious flies, please alert your local veterinarian, extension agent, or contact USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services.

Please also pay close attention to your cattle and watch for any open wounds or sores. If cattle exhibit irritated behavior, head shaking, you notice the smell of decaying flesh, or spot maggots in a wound, seek treatment from a veterinarian immediately. Proper wound treatment and prevention is the best way to protect your farm or ranch from a screwworm infestation. NCBA is also sharing the latest updates through our website. I encourage you to visit www.ncba.org/NWS for all the latest information on how to protect your operation.

NCBA is always on the clock to protect the U.S. cattle industry from threats like New World screwworm. Through your vigilance and NCBA’s advocacy, we can protect the United States cattle herd.

Kim Brackett is an Idaho rancher and serves as Policy Division Chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Emergency USDA Funding Available to Protect U.S. Livestock and Animals from New World Screwworm

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 18:09:21 GMT

On Dec. 13, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced $165 million in emergency funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation to protect U.S. livestock and other animals from New World screwworm (NWS) and to increase USDA’s ongoing efforts to control the spread of NWS in Mexico and Central America. NWS are fly larvae that infest living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing infection, according to an agency release.

NWS has spreadout throughout Panama and into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala during the last two years. With the finding of a NWS-positive cow found in Mexico on Nov. 22, APHIS and Mexican authorities have taken additional measures to prevent further spread through surveillance, animal health checkpoints and domestic preparedness. In addition, USDA is working with partners in Mexico and Central America to establish a barrier on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, eradicate NWS from the affected areas, and reestablish the biological barrier in Panama.

“The current outbreaks in Central America demonstrate the need for USDA to increase its investment in NWS eradication and prevention,” says Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “If NWS were to spread to the United States, it would result in significant economic losses and threats to animal health and welfare. This funding will allow for a coordinated emergency response to control the outbreak and prevent NWS from spreading to the United States.”

APHIS asks all producers along the southern border to watch their livestock and pets for signs of NWS and immediately report potential cases to their local veterinarian, State Veterinarian’s Office, or APHIS Veterinary Services.

According to APHIS, eradicating NWS is only possible through sterile insect technique. With this method, sterile flies are released into an area where a known population has become established. The sterile male screwworm fly mates with fertile female screwworm fly, causing the population of screwworm flies to decrease until it eventually dies out.

To learn more about NWS, visit the APHIS website .

Read more: Texas Tech Veterinarian Weighs In On New World Screwworm

New World Screwworm: Latest Update from USDA-APHIS

APHIS Increases Import Restrictions on Animal Products from Mexico on Confirmed Case of New World Screwworm

Research To Address Potential Disease Transmission Between Livestock and Wildlife

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 21:52:50 GMT

The H5N1 bird flu — widespread in wild birds worldwide and the cause of outbreaks in poultry, U.S. dairy cows and even several recent human cases among agricultural workers – is a prime example of mixed species disease transmission occurring where wildlife and livestock interact.

Sapna Chitlapilly Dass, Ph.D., assistant professor in microbial ecology and microbiome interactions, Department of Animal Science, is studying the ongoing threat of emerging pathogens that can necessitate prompt deployment of medical countermeasures for life-saving interventions. She is also part of a research team at a Texas A&M AgriLife in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Dass wants to address the potential of disease transmission at the rangeland level rather than waiting until it reaches the SARS-CoV-2 virus level in the human population. She worked extensively on solving problems with COVID-19 in the supply chain.

“Dairy cattle are not a known host for avian influenza, so that was quite a shocker when it jumped species,” she says. “Disease transmission is inevitable, and we will see more with unusual hosts getting this disease. So, we should take care of what we can fix before it can become human-to-human transmission.”

Dass is leading a research initiative dedicated to identifying pathogens, monitoring transmission pathways, and implementing rapid responses to address the potential danger posed by unidentified pathogens that could lead to severe epidemics.

The project, “A systems approach to understanding wildlife-farm animal-environmental drivers of zoonotic disease transmission in the food supply chain,” is funded by a $3.03 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service grant.

History tells us
Out of the 400 recorded instances of emerging infectious diseases since 1940, Dass said bacterial pathogens constitute 54%, viral or prion pathogens 25%, protozoa 11%, fungi 6%, and parasitic worms 3%.

This graphic shows the potential for infectious disease spread in the environment.

(Sapna Dass/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Despite their lower frequency, RNA viruses, such as those responsible for HIV, influenza H1N1 and H5N1, SARS-CoV-2, Lassa virus, Ebola virus and MERS-CoV have caused the most devastating recent emergence events.

“Human intersection with ecosystems, which is driven by urban expansion, along with the proximity of agricultural lands to wildlife habitats and the extending range of wildlife reservoirs collectively amplify the occurrence of zoonotic diseases,” Dass says.

This research project employs SARS-CoV-2 as a model virus to study spillover events from white-tailed deer to livestock, examine mechanisms of virus persistence in the environment, and assess their potential impact on human health.

“We want to determine what we can do before a disease reaches the point of vaccinating humans; fix the root cause,” she said. “The root cause is the wildlife and livestock intermingling. If we can take care of that, we can prevent overwhelming the healthcare system, which took a beating during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.”

The project
The project allows both wildlife and livestock to be put in a controlled environment to see whether the transmission happens. It is a lengthy procedure, but the USDA’s National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, has done a phenomenal job of cohabiting the animals so “we can get real-world disease transmission results,” Dass says.

“With our systems approach, we can look at environmental maintenance of the virus, using our Biosafety Safety Level 3 facility at the Global Health Research Complex,” she says. “For example, what occurs in a water trough or elsewhere when both livestock and wildlife drink water from the same source on the rangeland?”

Dass says this complex research requires collaboration between scientists from different specialties working together — people in animal disease, veterinary biosciences, wildlife and genomics.

The team working with Dass includes:

Tammi Johnson, Ph.D., AgriLife Research wildlife disease ecologist and associate professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Uvalde, concentrating on wildlife disease ecology.

Martial Ndeffo, Ph.D., assistant professor, Texas A&M Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Bryan-College Station, who specializes in infectious disease transdisciplinary modeling.

Paola Boggiatto, Ph.D., DVM, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa, who works on mixed species disease transmission between whitetail deer and livestock at the animal biosafety level 3 lab.

Jason McDermott, Ph.D., Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, who specializes in systems biology and multiomics modeling.

“Infectious disease transmission is expected to happen,” Dass says. “But we’ll find out if and how it can be controlled by limiting exposure.”

Your next read: Legal and Economic Considerations for Direct Beef Sales

Veterinarians Urge Anthrax Vigilance

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:22:17 GMT

Veterinarians are urging cattlemen to be vigilant for anthrax as they have seen a spike in confirmed cases.

In southwest Texas, anthrax has recently been found in five counties, part of a region known as the “Anthrax Triangle.” A case was also recently confirmed in southwest South Dakota. Anthrax — a spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis — occurs naturally in the soil.

“This is a reminder to cattle producers that the threat of anthrax is still present,” said North Dakota State University extension veterinarian Gerald Stokka. “It appears that during times of high rainfall and/or very dry conditions, the spores are uncovered and cattle are at risk of infection.”

The anthrax bacteria has a special survival mechanism called spore formation. This characteristic allows the bacteria to produce very hardy spores with a high survival rate. The spores can survive for years under the right conditions. When these spores come into contact with susceptible cattle, they can “hatch” and infect the animals, resulting in disease and death.

Clinical signs of anthrax in cattle, sheep, goats and deer may include fever, disorientation, labored breathing, muscle tremors, congested mucous membranes and collapse. It is possible for sudden death to occur without the presence of clinical signs. An animal can appear healthy and be dead within a matter of a few hours.

Often the only initial signs of anthrax infection are finding dead cattle. Cattle can die without signs of illness for a number of reasons, including lightning strikes, clostridial infections and toxicities, but anthrax always should be considered, Stokka said.

“If the diagnosis of anthrax is suspected and confirmed by your veterinarian, then vaccination needs to be implemented as quickly as possible,” he says.

The commercial vaccine available is a live attenuated (nondisease-causing) spore vaccine. The dose is 1 cc administered subcutaneously in the neck region.

All adult cattle and calves should be administered the vaccine, and treatment with antibiotics should be withheld because it may interfere with the immune response. However, when faced with an outbreak situation, administering an antibiotic and a vaccine concurrently has been effective, Stokka says. Consult your local veterinarian for a recommendation.

“Consider removing all cattle from the pasture where anthrax deaths are suspected because spores present can infect the remaining animals,” Stokka said.

Anthrax also carries a risk to humans, so take care to not disturb the carcass of suspected anthrax victims. The recommended method of disposal is to burn the carcass and soil on which the carcass was found after placing them in a trench dug in the immediate area of the death.

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