REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited the Rock Creek Ranch near La Pryor, Texas, on Thursday. The ranch is noted as having the first confirmed case of New World screwworm (NWS) in the country.

The young calf that was infested has been treated and is recovering.

During the visit, Rollins said the surveillance efforts have been expanded to look for NWS, border monitoring has increased, and sterile fly production and releases are being focused on the areas where the pest has been found, as well as where the model shows the flies should be released.

CONFIRMED NWS CASES

The USDA New World Screwworm Confirmed Detections dashboard, updated on Thursday, shows the last animal detected with the pest was on June 9. Seven total cases have been found in four Texas counties and one in a New Mexico county. Five of the seven cases were in cattle, one was in a goat and one was in a dog.

In a video posted on social media, Rollins was shown with the manager of Rock Creek Ranch and NWS Preparedness Senior Adviser John Bellinger. "So important for all these incredible ranchers in South Texas -- eyes on the cattle, report the cases. We've beaten it before, and we will beat it again. We have a lot of new things coming online," Rollins said.

While addressing reporters after a tour of the ranch, Rollins explained that the fight against NWS is being taken on by all facets of the government. Rollins said that when the current administration moved into office, they realized not much had been done to prepare for this type of emergency.

"When we walked in the door, late January 2025, there were only 10 full-time staff left over from the last administration that were fully focused on the screwworm. A couple of weeks ago, we had more than 120 full-time staff, who are focused on this issue. That's a 1000% increase," she said. "What I think makes this particular moment different is the all-of-government approach."

The governmental departments besides USDA that are involved in the NWS fight include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has a new NWS Emergency Plan; the Environmental Protection Agency, which recently approved the Novo fly; the Department of Health and Human Services, which deployed their veterinarians to the area; and the Army Corp of Engineers, which helped with the regulations and construction of the sterile fly facility in Edinburg, Texas. Resources are being used at both the federal and state level to fight this pest.

FDA AUTHORIZES PET DRUG

Also on Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for a generic over-the-counter drug to treat NWS in dogs, puppies, cats and kittens that weigh at least 2 pounds and are at least four weeks old. This is the first generic animal drug authorized for use against NWS, according to the FDA news release.

"The FDA has spent nearly a year fast-tracking reviews and readying for the arrival of New World screwworm in the U.S.," acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said in the release. "As of today, the FDA has issued 10 EUAs and three conditional approvals for drugs to combat this threat, and this count will continue to grow as we receive more animal drug submissions and unleash American regulatory speed."

For more information on NWS, visit: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/….

And for more DTN coverage of the New World screwworm threat and the response by the government and livestock industry, visit our Spotlight on New World Screwworm page at https://www.dtnpf.com/….

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