New Mexico Livestock Board issues livestock emergency over screwworm

New Mexico livestock officials on Tuesday issued an emergency declaration allowing for additional state and federal assistance to combat New World screwworm after the state’s first case was confirmed the day prior in a Lea County dog.

The resurgence of the parasitic pest in five cases in Texas and New Mexico follows its advance through Mexico after being mainly contained in Central America for several decades. Federal officials declared the fly eradicated from the U.S. for the past 60 years, and its return poses a threat to wildlife, livestock, pets and people.

The fly is named for the maggot’s behavior of burrowing into flesh and causing devastating wounds that can maim or even kill the host.

State and federal officials established an approximately 12-mile quarantine around the Eunice residence where the case in a dog was confirmed. Officials are continuing surveillance to determine if further New World screwworm flies are breeding, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told members during a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) asked Rollins about the impacts of staffing cuts on the agency’s response to the spread, along with the federal official’s commitment to Texas and New Mexico.

Rollins responded that the agency has 120 staff dedicated to addressing the screwworm and said that mitigating its impact is “a nonpartisan issue. We’ve got to protect our livestock industry, our hunting industry, etc.”

State officials will hold an informational meeting at the Eunice Community Center at 6 p.m. Thursday, with officials from the state departments of agriculture, wildlife and health to answer questions and provide materials.

New Mexico Livestock Board Executive Director Belinda Garland told Source NM teams of investigators are going door-to-door to alert people to the signs of New World screwworm, but that for now, “not much has changed” as a result of the order.

“We’re trying to give a clear directive to our staff but to producers as well,” Garland said. “If a situation arises that we haven’t thought about, the declaration is a living document and we can change it, if needed.”

The order allows for the receipt of state or federal emergency funds, authorizes agricultural officials to investigate and perform insect control within affected areas.

The threat level remains low, Garland said, but the agency is personally reaching out to every rancher in Lea County.

“We’re kind of fortunate in the location that this incident occurred. There’s a lot of oilfields immediately around that area, so there’s not a lot of prevalent livestock there,” she said.

Garland said early warning is the best prevention, noting that there are treatments for the maggot if caught soon enough.

“Pay attention to your animals, pay attention to any wildlife that might be around your property, if they’re acting like they’re in distress,” She said. “Be aware, but there’s no need to panic.”

New Mexico officials launched a one-stop website in mid-May to track potential New World screwworm cases in the state, offer resources for identifying the fly and the best contacts if an infestation is spotted.