Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sought to reassure senators Wednesday that the recent screwworm outbreak is under control and not a threat to the country’s food supply.
“Over the past week and a half, USDA has confirmed six cases of the New World screwworm within the US, all but one in the south of Texas,” Rollins said while testifying before the Senate Agriculture Committee. “We know this development is a serious threat but it did not catch us off guard.”
Rollins added the US Department of Agriculture has invested substantial money in tackling the reemergence of the screwworm. “Over $1 billion, $1.3 billion, since we walked into the door last January 2025, has been invested and deployed to battle just the New World screwworm,” she said.
A recent infection detected in a dog in New Mexico is among the latest cases to raise concerns about the growing screwworm threat. The pest has reemerged in the US in recent weeks after having been eradicated by early 2017, according to the USDA. It can spread quickly and kill livestock in a matter of days.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), chair of the agriculture panel, said he was confident in the USDA’s ability to handle the crisis.
“We have successfully eradicated New World screwworm before, and I am confident we can do so again,” he said. “We are looking to you and your team at USDA to continue leading this effort and safeguarding the health and security of America’s herd.”
Rollins outlined some of the department’s response. “We established a 20-kilometer movement zone, expedited targeted release of sterile flies in the affected ares,” she said. “We have increased trapping for flies along the border and are ramping up surveillance.”
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) pressed Rollins on the USDA’s dedication to eradicating the pest no matter where it appeared, especially after New Mexico recently found a new screwworm case.
“Can I just get your commitment wherever we see this damn screwworm those states will be prioritized?” he asked.
“One-hundred percent,” Rollins responded. “The president has been clear. This is a nonpartisan issue. We have to protect our livestock industry.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Rachel Umansky-Castro at rumanskycastro@bloombergindustry.com
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brandon Conradis at bconradis@bloombergindustry.com; Martha Mueller Neff at mmuellerneff@bloomberglaw.com