Current cattle market good, no quarantine in Medina County

 By Linda Perkins

Anvil Herald Reporter

In an interview June 9, Seth Crain with the Hondo Livestock Auction provided information about the sale and movement of cattle following state and federal authorities’ official confirmation of four New World screwworm (NWS) detections in Texas. 

“Do not panic,” advised Crain, “this is not an epidemic. The cattle market is not in quarantine. Medina County, as the Anvil Herald went to press, is not in a declared disaster zone.

“Currently, we can sell and move cattle freely. The market is good, even for cattle coming out of disaster zones.

“Even in a worst case scenario,” he continued, “sale and movement of livestock can continue. This is contingent on authorization by the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).”

Moving animals out of an infested zone requires contacting TAHC to set up an inspection. During this inspection Crain said the animal will get a tag. Then, after a 72-hour waiting period, a TAHC animal health official will return and issue a health certificate for the animal.

The TAHC animal movement certificate lists the product used for prevention or treatment, the animal’s official ID and must accompany the animal’s movement.

“Quarantines are in place,” according to TAHC, “due to an established New World Screwworm Infested Zone in parts of the following Texas counties: Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle, Uvalde, Webb and Zavala.”

No quarantine is in place currently in Medina County Judge Keith Lutz concurred in a recent interview. 

“Working through Texas A&M AgriLife Service,” the judge said, “we are monitoring the situation carefully.”

Medina County community members can access New World Screwworm Information/Helpful Links to Texas A&M AgriLife Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Animal Health & Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) on the county’s webpage at www.medinatx.gov.