WASHINGTON, D.C., August 31, 2026—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has approved the release of two New World screwworm (NWS)-infested zones in Texas, following concurrence from Texas’s State Veterinarian, Dr. Bud Dinges, and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC). This marks a significant milestone: the first NWS infested zones to be released in Texas since the first case was detected there on June 3.
“The Texas Animal Health Commission has been an outstanding partner throughout our response to New World screwworm. Their vigilance, on‑the‑ground expertise and unwavering commitment to protecting livestock and wildlife have been essential to our shared success,” said Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins.
“Thanks to this strong federal-state partnership, we’ve been able to identify cases early, respond aggressively and slow the spread of NWS across affected areas. Today’s milestone demonstrates the power of coordinated action—showing producers, communities and the nation that when we work together, we can protect animal health and maintain continuity of business even in challenging situations.”
Two zones that met the criteria
The two zones being released are:
- Infested Zone 02.A (including portions of La Salle and Webb counties)
- Infested Zone 03 (including portions of Gillespie, Kerr and Kimble counties)
This action comes after state and federal subject matter experts confirmed that the two areas met all requirements outlined in APHIS’ New World Screwworm Response Playbook (884.59 KB) for zone release.
As cases have been confirmed in Texas, TAHC and APHIS have worked together. They have established infested zones and carrying out essential response activities, including:
- Establishing domestic animal movement requirements with inspections
- Wildlife and fly surveillance
- Strategic releases of sterile NWS flies
Releasing these zones removes NWS‑related movement requirements for livestock and pets within the released areas. This allows producers to resume normal intrastate and interstate movement without NWS inspection. All non-NWS-related interstate movement requirements and international export requirements will still apply.
Several infested zones remain
Several infested zones in Texas remain in place. APHIS continues to work closely with TAHC to evaluate conditions for future zone releases. All Texas animal owners should visit the TAHC website to ensure they have the latest information. This includes the locations of infested zones, movement requirements and zone‑specific requirements.
APHIS and TAHC remain committed to supporting continuity of business for producers. They will continue applying science‑based surveillance, early detection and rapid response measures to ensure that areas are released as soon as the criteria have been met.
For more information about NWS and updated response activities, please visit screwworm.gov and the TAHC New World Screwworm resource page.