States and the federal government are ramping up their preparedness for possible future New World screwworm outbreaks amid recent detections of the pest in northern Mexico.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agriculture Department, and the Interior Department convened for a two-part New World screwworm simulation exercise meant to test national readiness for New World screwworm and other threats.
According to a press release Friday, the exercise went over three different scenarios for the spread of pest — cattle smuggling, wild animal infections, or infested humans. It featured 80 in-person attendees and 170 virtual ones, the release said.
“This is the first exercise of its kind,” Sean Conley, acting DHS chief medical officer and acting director of the Office of Health Security, said in a release. “The sessions provided participants with a shared operational baseline and an opportunity to test coordination and identify decision points critical to an effective government response.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday declared a statewide disaster declaration over concerns about NWS's presence in parts of northern Mexico, finding that it "presents an immediate threat to the danger and injury" of the state's agricultural sector.
USDA map as of Jan. 27
Three total screwworm cases had been detected in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon as of Jan. 27, though none were classified as "active," according to a USDA tracker. Meawhile, Tamalauipas had eight active cases out of 20 overall cases, while San Luis Potosí had five active cases out of 11 total cases.
In a statement, Abbot said the declaration allows the state's New World Screwworm response team to "fully utilize all state government prevention and response resources to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite."
"Although the New World screwworm fly is not yet present in Texas or the U.S., its northward spread from Mexico toward the U.S. southern border poses a serious threat to Texas' livestock industry and wildlife," Abbott said in the release.
"State law authorizes me to act to prevent a threat of infestation that could cause severe damage to Texas property, and I will not wait for such harm to reach our livestock and wildlife."
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