Texas A&M Veterinary lab expands frontline response to New World screwworm invasion

Texas A&M’s Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory is taking on a new role in field investigations as it supports efforts to contain the deadly New World screwworm pest invading Texas, enhancing rapid diagnostics and frontline response capacity.

Texas A&M’s Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory has moved beyond its usual laboratory role as New World screwworm pressures Texas’ animal-health system, with staff now working alongside state and federal responders in the field.

According to Texas A&M AgriLife, the lab was deployed at the direction of the governor’s office to the State Operations Centre in Austin and later supported the USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission after the parasite was detected in Texas. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sent a mobile animal disease laboratory to South Texas on 9 June for rapid identification and confirmation.

Kiril M. Dimitrov, TVMDL director, said the agency is bringing laboratory expertise to the frontline of the response, describing it as a new capacity for faster diagnostics. Seven specialists with entomology or parasitology experience are rotating through weekly deployments, while 17 veterinarians are available for epidemiological investigations, clinical examinations and incident management.

TVMDL said suspected cases should be routed through TAHC and USDA regional veterinary responders, rather than sent directly to its facilities. The agency, which handles more than 200,000 submissions and performs over 1.1 million tests a year, said the work underlines its wider role in protecting animal health and the food supply.