Screwworm Case in New Mexico Horse Clouds Planned Port Reopening

A horse in Grant County, New Mexico, has been confirmed to be infested with New World screwworm, the US Department of Agriculture said, marking the state's second such case since the flesh-eating parasite crossed from Mexico in June.

The affected animal was found in the southwest corner of the state, close to the Mexican border. The discovery comes as Washington prepares to reopen a New Mexico port of entry to livestock trade, a move Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins outlined on Wednesday.

Rollins held a news conference at the Santa Teresa port on Thursday to discuss plans to restart trade there on September 24. According to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, the horse case had not been confirmed at the time of that event.

Jenny Green, a spokesperson for the state agriculture department, said she had no immediate update on whether the latest infection would affect the reopening schedule. The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The United States halted livestock imports from Mexico last year to keep screwworm out, then resumed trade at an Arizona port last month under a phased reopening plan. That suspension contributed to tighter US cattle supplies and drove beef prices to record highs for American consumers.

Last week, the first US horse to be infested with screwworm was detected in southern Texas near the Mexican border. The USDA now lists three active screwworm cases in the country: the horses in New Mexico and Texas, and a dog in Texas.

Green said officials are investigating how the New Mexico horse became infested. Concerns have been growing that smuggled animals, including horses, could serve as hosts for the parasite.

A previous screwworm outbreak killed thousands of animals in the United States before the pest was declared eradicated in the 1960s.