{"id":70372,"date":"2026-06-11T15:36:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T19:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=70372"},"modified":"2026-06-11T15:36:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T19:36:52","slug":"screwworm-florida-is-now-blocking-the-importation-of-rescue-and-shelter-dogs-and-cats-from-states-with-confirmed-new-world-screwworm-detections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2026\/06\/11\/screwworm-florida-is-now-blocking-the-importation-of-rescue-and-shelter-dogs-and-cats-from-states-with-confirmed-new-world-screwworm-detections\/","title":{"rendered":"SCREWWORM: Florida is now blocking the importation of rescue and shelter dogs and cats from states with confirmed New World Screwworm detections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The situation escalated rapidly, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) officially tightened the net.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson issued Emergency Rule 5CER26-7<\/strong>, which explicitly bans the importation of rescue and shelter dogs and cats from any state with confirmed New World Screwworm (NWS) detections until further notice.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This aggressive stance comes on the heels of the USDA confirming multiple U.S. cases\u2014including a calf and a dog in Texas, and another dog in New Mexico. Because dogs are historically the second most affected species after cattle, shelter and transport networks are a major focus for containment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Emergency Rules Look Like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For regular pet travel and livestock, the rules are incredibly strict, but the absolute shutdown specifically targets shelter and rescue animals<\/strong> to prevent the parasite from gaining a foothold in Florida’s warm climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Rescue & Shelter Ban:<\/strong> Prohibits shelter or rescue dogs and cats originating from any state with a confirmed NWS case from crossing into Florida.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Border Restrictions:<\/strong> For other warm-blooded animals coming from an “infested zone” (defined as any county with a positive detection and its surrounding border counties), there is a temporary freeze. Afterward, they must obtain a specialized FDACS Certificate of Animal Movement and an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI) issued within 5 days of travel, stating they are completely free of larvae.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The Quarantine Risk:<\/strong> Any animals arriving from high-risk areas without a pristine vet certificate will be forced into quarantine, and the suppliers will face heavy fines. Animals from infested zones will simply be turned away at the state line.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Why the High Stakes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The New World Screwworm is a devastating parasitic fly.<\/sup> Unlike regular maggots that feed on dead tissue, screwworm larvae burrow into and feed on the living flesh<\/strong> of warm-blooded animals.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The pest was completely eradicated from the United States back in 1966 (outside of a brief, isolated outbreak in the Florida Keys in 2017).<\/sup> Its return through the southern border poses a massive threat to livestock, wildlife, and domestic pets.<\/sup> Because Florida stays warm year-round, an unchecked introduction could be catastrophic for local animal populations and the agricultural economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Pet Owners and Rescues Should Watch For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The FDA has already issued emergency use authorizations for specific preventative treatments (like certain doses of Credelio and NexGard) for pets traveling in or near at-risk zones.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Agriculture and wildlife officials are urging anyone handling animals to monitor them closely.<\/sup> The primary warning signs of an infestation include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Slow-healing, draining, or rapidly enlarging wounds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Visible maggots or egg masses clustered in a wound or natural body opening (ears, nose, eyes, or umbilicus).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Signs of intense physical discomfort, lethargy, or uncharacteristic scratching and biting at a specific spot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n

      Local Reporting:<\/strong> If you suspect a screwworm infestation in domestic pets or livestock, it must be reported immediately to FDACS at 1-800-342-5869<\/strong>.<\/sup> For wildlife concerns, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at 1-888-404-3922<\/strong>.<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The situation escalated rapidly, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) officially tightened the net. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson issued Emergency Rule 5CER26-7, which explicitly… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":70373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvaTAud3AuY29tXC9sYWtlbGFuZGdhemV0dGUuaW5mb1wvbmV3c1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDZcL2ltYWdlcy00LndlYnA_Zml0PTMxMCUyQzE2MiZzc2w9MSIsInR4dCI6IlNDUkVXV09STTogRmxvcmlkYSBpcyBub3cgYmxvY2tpbmcgdGhlIGltcG9ydGF0aW9uIG9mIHJlc2N1ZSBhbmQgc2hlbHRlciBkb2dzIGFuZCBjYXRzIGZyb20gc3RhdGVzIHdpdGggY29uZmlybWVkIE5ldyBXb3JsZCBTY3Jld3dvcm0gZGV0ZWN0aW9ucyIsInRlbXBsYXRlIjoiZG9pcyIsImZvbnQiOiIiLCJibG9nX2lkIjoxNjMwNDA2NjF9.ZdPATYkC-YgQ32ksfE9UhCnejhDGeEqtlP3PG1KZV9gMQ"},"version":2,"media_source":"sig","attached_media":[{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/jetpack.com\/redirect\/?source=sigenerate&query=t%3DeyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbGFrZWxhbmRnYXpldHRlLmluZm9cL25ld3NcL3dwLWNvbnRlbnRcL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMjZcLzA2XC9pbWFnZXMtNC53ZWJwIiwidHh0IjoiU0NSRVdXT1JNOiBGbG9yaWRhIGlzIG5vdyBibG9ja2luZyB0aGUgaW1wb3J0YXRpb24gb2YgcmVzY3VlIGFuZCBzaGVsdGVyIGRvZ3MgYW5kIGNhdHMgZnJvbSBzdGF0ZXMgd2l0aCBjb25maXJtZWQgTmV3IFdvcmxkIFNjcmV3d29ybSBkZXRlY3Rpb25zIiwidGVtcGxhdGUiOiJkb2lzIiwiZm9udCI6IiIsImJsb2dfaWQiOjE2MzA0MDY2MX0.xYDjjq5VOW1T45zC8RWX0NnGLHgt9VpgM9nYCV1E6vsMQ","type":"image\/jpeg"}]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[14831],"class_list":["post-70372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regional-and-world-news","tag-screwworm-florida-is-now-blocking-the-importation-of-rescue-and-shelter-dogs-and-cats-from-states-with-confirmed-new-world-screwworm-detections"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70372"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70375,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70372\/revisions\/70375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}