AUSTIN – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today responded to USDA reports of New World screwworm in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, approximately 62 miles from the Texas border.

 

The following statement may be attributed to Commissioner Miller:

 

“The threat of the New World screwworm is creeping dangerously close to our border. A confirmed case in Nuevo León, just about 60 miles from the United States, in a young calf is a flashing red warning sign we will not ignore.

 

This is now the northernmost active case in Mexico, and that puts Texas squarely in the crosshairs. The fact that this detection falls within the current sterile fly dispersal zone tells you just how real and active this fight already is. USDA has been working with Mexican authorities to track and respond, and those efforts matter, but this is no time to let up.

 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: when it comes to protecting our livestock industry we must go on offense. That means ramping up surveillance, tightening coordination at the border, and making absolutely certain every available resource is deployed to stop this dangerous pest.

 

Our ranchers feed this country and fuel the Texas economy. They deserve vigilance, urgency, and action. We’ve beaten the New World screwworm before, and we will beat it again, but only if we treat this threat with the seriousness it demands right now.”

 

For more information on New World screwworm detection, prevention, and reporting protocols, visit Screwworm.gov.