Val Verde County briefed on screwworm threat; state officials urge immediate reporting and inspections

Val Verde County officials held an emergency briefing on screwworm risk, where Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) staff explained how the parasitic new‑world screwworm spreads, described the county's possible quarantine and inspection procedures, and urged rapid reporting by ranchers and residents.

Dr. Sandra Lenecker, a veterinarian and regional TAHC director in Laredo, told the court that screwworm larvae feed on living tissue and can develop from egg to stage‑three larvae in a matter of days, making rapid detection critical. "They are reportable and you must report it," she said, adding that TAHC maintains a 24/7 veterinarian on call for sample collection and advice. She explained how to identify likely screw‑worm flies (red/orange eyes, three lines on the thorax, metallic blue/green color), common wound sites and how to preserve specimens for laboratory confirmation.

TAHC deputy executive director TR Lansford described the agency's three‑part response: movement controls, treatments and surveillance. He said an initial "infested zone" would commonly begin at roughly a 12‑mile diameter around a confirmed case so inspectors can evaluate and permit inspected movement: "A quarantine doesn't mean that your animals can't move. It just means they need to be inspected, treated, have some paperwork," Lansford said. He emphasized that movement controls and on‑site inspection are intended to limit rapid human‑assisted spread of the pest while allowing commerce to continue where safe.

Officials discussed the sterile‑fly eradication program used historically for screwworm. Dr. Lenecker said sterile‑fly production and aerial/ground distribution are central to suppression and described current production and rollout plans: Panama remains a major production source, TAHC staff said a Chiapas facility in Mexico was expected to be completed by the end of June, and production capacity is being scaled to deliver hundreds of millions of sterile flies over the next year or two to support regional suppression.

TAHC staff provided practical guidance for ranchers and county partners. They advised collecting suspect maggots in alcohol for testing, warned against burying carcasses because pupae can survive in soil, and recommended establishing or confirming a veterinarian‑client relationship so prescribed treatments and inspections can proceed. The presenters listed approved or conditionally approved topical and systemic products used for treatment and cautioned about drug residues and food‑safety rules if animals are intended for the food chain.

Officials also reviewed current case surveillance in Mexico. Dr. Lenecker said that cases have been reported across many Mexican states and described active case counts in the low thousands in recent reporting windows; she said there were several hundred human cases reported in Mexico and a small number of human deaths. She and Lansford warned that illegal or uninspected movement of animals is a major driver of northward spread.

County leaders said they would provide staging locations and support as needed; the court discussed preparing the fairgrounds as a potential site for testing and coordination if a local case is confirmed. Lansford said statutory quarantine postings and formal county notification would follow laboratory confirmation, and that the county's communications networks and Spanish‑language outreach would be used to reach rural residents.

The meeting closed with officials urging vigilance and immediate reporting of suspicious wounds to TAHC contacts provided at the briefing. County staff said they would post presentation materials and lists of approved medicines on the county website and gather contact information from attendees to expedite notification if a local confirmation occurs.