Tag: dairy cattle disease

U.S. Combats New World Screwworm

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

As U.S. New World screwworm cases rise, NMPF is working closely with USDA on New World screwworm monitoring and prevention efforts, including a discussion on cleaning, disinfection, and dairy animal movements.

NMPF is updating its New World screwworm fact sheets to reflect new information from USDA as it becomes available.

Three new domestic cases of New World screwworm in August brought the total confirmed U.S. infestations to 47. No cases have been reported in wildlife, and no New World screwworm flies have been detected in U.S. fly traps.

With no additional New World screwworm cases detected since the initial June 7 detection, USDA APHIS has approved the release of New Mexico’s only NWS infested zone, lifting movement restrictions and allowing normal intrastate and interstate movement of livestock and pets to resume.

In Texas, state animal health officials are also beginning to scale back restrictions in designated areas, including portions of Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle, and Webb counties, removing NWS inspection and movement certificate requirements as surveillance data support a reduced risk of infestation. While these actions reflect progress in containment and eradication efforts, movement restrictions remain in other designated NWS infested zones in Texas.

Mexican officials confirmed a new case of New World screwworm along the border in Juarez, just days before the port in Douglas, AZ, begin a phased reopening to Mexican livestock on Aug. 24. USDA announced on Aug. 10 that the new domestic sterile fly production facility under construction in Edinberg, TX is now set to open in spring of 2027, seven months ahead of schedule.

FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) on Aug. 7 for an additional product to prevent New World screwworm. CLiK Extra (dicyclanil topical suspension) wound spray is not authorized as a treatment option for an active infestation. The drug is not authorized for use in female dairy cattle producing milk for human consumption. Treated calves and calves born to treated cows must not be processed for veal.

USDA Catching Up to NMPF on Animal Disease Traceability

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF underscored its longstanding commitment to animal traceability to combat disease outbreaks while opposing a change to the definition of “dairy cattle” in comments it submitted  April 19to the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) on the Use of Electronic Identification Eartags as Official Identification in Cattle and Bison (Docket No. APHIS–2021–0020).

USDA-APHIS is proposing to amend its animal disease traceability regulations to require that eartags be both visually and electronically readable to be recognized for use as official eartags for interstate movement of cattle and bison covered under the regulations. The agency also proposed changes to the definition of “dairy cattle” to include cross-bred dairy beef animals.

The proposed changes are intended to enhance the ability of tribal, state and federal officials, private veterinarians, and livestock producers to quickly respond to high-impact diseases currently existing in the United States, as well as foreign animal diseases that threaten the viability of the U.S. cattle and bison industries.

NMPF comments focused on the USDA-APHIS alignment with the longstanding NMPF policy supporting mandatory animal identification with radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags for dairy cattle. The USDA-APHIS requirement for eartags to be electronically readable comports with NMPF’s animal identification policy which is nearly two decades old.

NMPF in its comments opposed the APHIS proposed change to the definition of “dairy cattle” to include cross-bred dairy beef animals. APHIS contended that cross-bred dairy-beef animals, which are raised solely for meat and not for milk, represent increased risks of disease transmission and thus the animal disease traceability requirements should be the same as for dairy cattle. However, APHIS did not present data to indicate an increased risk of disease transmission and simply asserted that being raised and managed on a dairy farm result in increased risk. Many dairy farms also raise other livestock commercially, such as swine and poultry, yet USDA-APHIS did not propose to have similar disease traceability requirements for those animals. NMPF suggested these crossbred dairy-beef animals should have the same requirements as other beef cattle.