The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reversed a short-lived ban on pet dogs traveling to Mexico, reinstating cross-border travel under previously established procedures while confirmed cases of New World screwworm in the United States rose to 6 as of June 9, 2026. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) had initially suspended pet dog exports to Mexico following the first confirmed U.S. animal case on June 3, 2026, a 3-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas. The ban was reversed after APHIS worked with Mexican authorities to clarify entry requirements.
The New World screwworm outbreak, which has moved northward through Central America and Mexico since 2023, marked its first U.S. reappearance since eradication in the 1960s, excluding a localized Florida outbreak in 2016-2017. The 6 confirmed U.S. cases as of June 9 include 4 cattle, 1 goat, and 1 dog, the last identified in Lea County, New Mexico. Livestock including swine, cattle, sheep, goats, and horses remain on the restricted export list and cannot travel to Mexico.
Pet Dogs Reinstated, But Health Requirements Remain in Force
APHIS clarified that the initial suspension of pet dog exports was a temporary measure pending coordination with Mexico, not a unilateral U.S. policy decision. “To clarify, this isn’t an APHIS decision. Mexico, like all countries, sets its own requirements for live animals entering the country. After the initial report of New World screwworm, pet dogs were temporarily included among the animals ineligible for export from the United States while APHIS worked with Mexico to clarify those requirements,” the agency said.
Pet dogs traveling to Mexico must be free of disease, show no signs of open wounds, and be transported in clean cages. All dogs re-entering the United States from Mexico must meet APHIS requirements for screwworm freedom certification. The certification can be issued by a clinical veterinarian in Mexico authorized to sign on behalf of the official government veterinarian. Mexico simultaneously announced it is reinforcing inspections of cats, dogs, and pet birds at ports of entry and suspended the exchange of live animals with the United States.
Sterile Fly Releases and Federal Response Under Way
The USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission activated a unified incident command with 75 personnel on the ground and hundreds more providing laboratory, logistics, and operational support nationwide. Each confirmed detection triggers a 20-kilometer infested zone subject to quarantines, movement controls, and heightened surveillance. USDA activated a sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, with aerial dispersal flights beginning June 9. Ground release chambers are simultaneously deploying 4 million sterile flies per week near detection zones.
“Over the past week, USDA has identified and expeditiously confronted four confirmed detections of New World screwworm,” said Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “While we address these instances that require immediate attention and continue to sample suspected cases, we are simultaneously working to eradicate the pest entirely.”
New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is not a disease but the larvae of a parasitic fly that feeds on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. It poses a serious threat to livestock, pets, and wildlife and can in rare cases affect people. USDA confirmed that the screwworm has not been found in the human food supply and that any affected animal would be identified during food safety inspection before entering commerce. APHIS stated that updated re-entry requirements for dogs returning from Mexico will be posted once finalized.
Photo Credit: Svitlana Hulko / Shutterstock.com
