New Mexico has become the first state in the country to be released from a New World screwworm-infested zone since the pest returned to the United States this summer. The Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service approved the release on August 30, ending the movement restrictions that had applied to livestock and pets in the affected area.
The immediate effect is practical rather than medical. Lifting the zone removes screwworm-related requirements on the domestic movement of animals from that area, which means producers and pet owners in the affected part of New Mexico can resume normal movement within the state.
