USDA Confirms First U.S. Equine New World Screwworm Case; Texas Issues Infested Zone 21 Banning Pet Movement in Presidio and Jeff Davis Counties
Executive Summary: The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) on 9 September 2026 designated parts of Presidio and Jeff Davis counties as Infested Zone 21 after New World Screwworm (NWS) was detected in a horse in Presidio County on 8 September — the first equine case and the 49th confirmed U.S. case in the outbreak that began on 3 June 2026. The TAHC emergency order explicitly bars movement of all “warm-blooded animals” — a clause that includes dogs and cats — out of the zone without state veterinary permits, on penalty of administrative fines and/or criminal prosecution. The order builds on USDA APHIS national movement requirements already in force for the outbreak and now applies the most aggressive single action since the first Texas quarantine in late June. For pet health providers, veterinarians, and pet brands operating into or through far-west Texas, the practical impact is a routine permit regime for cross-boundary animal movement, with 16 Texas counties now under some form of quarantine. Pet medical practices inside the zone face elevated caseload and longer admin cycles for the foreseeable future.
Key Facts
- Topic
- New World Screwworm regulatory escalation (first equine case in U.S. outbreak)
- Country
- United States (Texas primary; New Mexico secondary)
- Industry
- Animal health, veterinary services, pet food logistics
- Category
- Policy / regulation / animal disease
- Event
- TAHC Infested Zone 21 emergency declaration
- Date
- 2026-09-08 (detection) → 2026-09-09 (order issued) → 2026-09-10 (Texas Dispatch publication)
- Location
- Presidio County + Jeff Davis County, Texas (Big Bend region)
- Source
- TAHC Emergency Order 2026-09-09 (Dr. Lewis R. Dinges, ED / State Veterinarian); Texas Dispatch; USDA APHIS guidance and dashboard
What Happened
On 8 September 2026, a horse in Presidio County, Texas — across the Rio Grande from Ojinaga, Chihuahua — was confirmed positive for New World Screwworm (NWS), the flesh-eating parasite whose larvae burrow into the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. The next day, 9 September, TAHC executive director and state veterinarian Dr. Lewis R. Dinges signed an emergency order designating parts of Presidio and Jeff Davis counties as Infested Zone 21. The order remains in effect “until the quarantine is released by the Commission.”
This is the first equine confirmation in the U.S. outbreak. The horse is the 49th confirmed U.S. case since the outbreak began on 3 June 2026, joining 48 prior cases (47 in Texas, 1 in New Mexico). All 49 cases have been in domestic animals — primarily cattle, sheep, and goats, plus one dog previously confirmed in Crockett County on 31 August 2026. There are no wildlife cases, no positive fly traps, and no human cases.
The order language is operational and unhedged: warm-blooded animals within Infested Zone 21 may not be moved out of the zone without prior authorisation. To move an animal, “the animal must be inspected and treated as required by the Commission and issued a permit or certificate for movement by a Commission representative.” Hides and carcasses are also subject to inspection. “Unauthorized movement is prohibited and subject to administrative penalties and/or criminal prosecution.”
Background
New World Screwworm was declared eradicated from the U.S. in 1966 and reappeared in the current outbreak on 3 June 2026. The federal state-of-emergency umbrella was activated by Texas Governor Greg Abbott shortly after the first Texas detection and has been renewed multiple times — most recently on 2 September 2026, ahead of the 8 September Presidio finding. The outbreak origin is tied to northward spread from Mexico: APHIS maintains a joint protocol with Mexico’s SENASICA for staged reopening of cattle import ports. Only Douglas, Arizona has reopened so far; Santa Teresa, NM and Columbus, NM remain closed.
Within Texas, the response has been a series of overlapping infested zones: Brewster and Presidio (Zone 18, 30 July), Crockett (Zone 20, 2 September). On 4 September, parts of Kimble were released; on 9 September, the new zone added Jeff Davis for the first time.
Industry Context
The U.S. pet industry, and the global pet food and supplies trade flowing into the southern border region, have been operating under federal APHIS movement rules since the outbreak began. The Texas-level Infested Zone orders layer on top of those rules. The relevant federal document is the APHIS National NWS Movement Requirements guide, which treats all equids as farm-raised animals and requires an explicit inspection statement on every movement certificate. The TAHC orders sit downstream of this and have, in Zone 21, expanded the practical scope to animal health controls affecting dogs and cats living in the zone or travelling with owners across the boundary.
From a pet health perspective, two consequences follow. First, pet food brands with distribution centres or 3PL partners inside the zone now operate under a routine permit regime for any outbound movement. Second, veterinarians in affected counties can expect an elevated inspection load. National pet brands with Texas operations should already be in contact with their logistics counterparties to verify permit timelines. The aggregate pet health impact is that the TAHC Zone 21 order effectively extends the outbreak’s regulatory perimeter to companion animals, multiplying the permit and inspection load on pet medical providers in the affected region.
Market & Business Impact
The most direct B2B impact is on feed, treat, and pet accessory logistics crossing through West Texas. A second-order effect runs through the equestrian and rodeo industry, which uses many far-west Texas ranches as part-time pet-boarding facilities in summer. Those facilities now sit under the same regime as a working ranch — any animal leaving the zone requires a Commission-issued permit. For pet insurance providers, the loss-and-liability picture is consistent with a region under declared emergency: most US pet insurance policies (Embrace, Trupanion, Healthy Paws, Nationwide, ASPCA, Lemonade) carry clauses for movement-restricted regions, and outbreak-condition claims will inform 2027 underwriting.
Companies & Brands Involved
This story is regulatory, not commercial — no specific pet brand is named in the order. The downstream entities that may be most affected are:
- Texas-based pet-food manufacturers and distributors operating inside or near the quarantine zone.
- Veterinary service networks in Presidio, Jeff Davis, Brewster, and the 13 other counties currently under some form of NWS-related restriction.
- Pet insurance underwriters writing in Texas and the southern border states.
- Cross-border equine and rodeo event organisers whose venues fall inside the zone.
For pet owners, the operational guidance is straightforward: every dog, cat, horse, or other warm-blooded pet leaving the zone requires a TAHC inspection and permit; failure to obtain one carries administrative fines plus the possibility of criminal prosecution. Pet medical providers in the zone should pre-arrange health certificate workflows for any animal expected to travel.
Data & Evidence
- U.S. NWS confirmed cases (since 2026-06-03): 49 — including the Presidio County horse (2026-09-08, first equine).
- Texas case count: 48; New Mexico: 1.
- Species affected in the U.S. so far: cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, horses. No wildlife, no humans.
- Texas counties under quarantine (full or partial): 16 as of 2026-09-09.
- USDA APHIS reopened cattle-import port: 1 (Douglas, AZ); closed: 4 (Santa Teresa, NM; Columbus, NM; others pending).
- Texas statewide animal-health disaster declaration: in continuous force since first detection, renewed most recently on 2026-09-02.
What This Means for the Pet Industry
The Presidio equine case is a signal that the U.S. outbreak is broadening in scope rather than contracting. The federal APHIS state-of-emergency umbrella combined with overlapping state-zone orders now constitutes an operational regime, not a temporary alert, and pet owners and pet businesses inside or adjacent to the affected zone should plan for the order to remain in force through the rest of 2026. Pet insurance carriers will likely see modest claims drift in the 16 affected counties, but the larger systemic risk is supply-chain delay: any pet food, treat, or accessory shipment that originates in, terminates in, or transits through the zone is now subject to permit-and-inspection timing that did not exist two weeks ago. From an animal health perspective, the operative insight is that NWS is no longer a livestock-only problem in the U.S. — it has crossed into equine and canine cases and into pet-movement restrictions. Routine vaccination, parasite-prevention, and travel-cert workflows with private vets will see elevated volumes for the rest of the year.
Key Takeaways
- Texas Animal Health Commission designated parts of Presidio and Jeff Davis counties as Infested Zone 21 on 9 September 2026, after the first U.S. equine New World Screwworm case on 8 September.
- The TAHC order explicitly bars movement of all warm-blooded animals, including dogs and cats, without state veterinary permits — subject to administrative fines and criminal prosecution.
- The Presidio horse is the 49th confirmed U.S. case since 3 June 2026; 48 prior cases were cattle/sheep/goats/dogs in Texas plus one case in New Mexico.
- 16 Texas counties are now under some form of quarantine; the state-level disaster declaration was renewed on 2 September 2026.
- USDA APHIS national movement rules already apply; Texas-level orders layer on top and are the operational reality for any pet or animal transport in the zone.
- Pet food and accessory brands operating into or through far-west Texas should be in direct contact with their 3PL/logistics counterparties about the new permit regime.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is New World Screwworm?
New World Screwworm is a fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) whose larvae burrow into the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing serious injury, secondary infection, and death if untreated. It is classified as a foreign animal disease by USDA APHIS and is the focus of an active federal-state emergency response in the southern U.S.
Where is Infested Zone 21?
The zone covers parts of Presidio County and Jeff Davis County in the Big Bend region of far-west Texas, directly across the Rio Grande from Ojinaga, Chihuahua in Mexico. Infested Zone 21 was issued on 9 September 2026.
Does the quarantine include pets such as dogs and cats?
Yes. The TAHC order explicitly covers all warm-blooded animals, which under USDA APHIS national movement guidance includes dogs, cats, and other companion animals. Any pet leaving the zone requires a TAHC inspection and movement permit.
How much does a vet visit cost under outbreak protocols?
The quarantine does not change private-vet fee schedules, but pet owners in the zone should expect additional fees for inspection-cert issuance, movement permits, and any required parasite-prevention treatment. Many carriers (Embrace, Trupanion, Healthy Paws, ASPCA, Nationwide) cover wellness and preventive visits on standard policies; confirm pre-travel paperwork timing with your carrier before any cross-boundary movement.
What vaccines does my puppy need before travel within Texas?
Core vaccines that apply broadly for puppy travel within Texas include rabies, distemper, parvovirus, and Bordetella (kennel cough). For travel into or out of the NWS quarantine zone, your private veterinarian may also recommend a current health certificate — issued within 7-10 days of movement in most standard practice — and explicit proof of parasite-prevention treatment. Book the health certificate visit 2-3 weeks before planned movement.
What pet industry segments are affected?
Three categories of impact: (1) pet food and accessory logistics into and through the affected counties; (2) veterinary services for movement-permit issuance and parasite-prevention; (3) pet insurance underwriting for the affected region in the 2027 cycle.
Sources
- Primary — TAHC Emergency Order, Infested Zone 21 (Jeff Davis / Presidio), signed by Dr. Lewis R. Dinges (ED / State Veterinarian), 2026-09-09. PDF: https://www.tahc.texas.gov/regs/pdf/2026-09-09_NWS_EDO_JeffDavisPresidio.pdf
- Primary — USDA APHIS National NWS Movement Requirements: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/nws-national-cob-movement-requirements.pdf
- Primary — USDA APHIS confirmed-detections dashboard: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animals/animal-health/livestock-and-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm/current-status
- Secondary — The Texas Dispatch, “Texas Quarantines Two Big Bend Counties After the Outbreak’s First Horse Case”, 2026-09-10 06:50 CST, https://thetexasdispatch.com/tahc-infested-zone-21-presidio-jeff-davis-first-horse-screwworm-case
Related News & GPI Data
- GPI News: U.S. New World Screwworm outbreak index (queue pending).
- GPI News: EU Regulation 2026/1818 entry into force — pet welfare and traceability (2026-09-09).
- GPI News: Vet Plus Fi Salmonella recall (2026-09-08).
- GPI Knowledge: Companies Directory — Texas-based pet brands and distributors.
- GPI Knowledge: Animal Health Regulations Hub.
