Santa Teresa Cattle Crossing to reopen amid New World screwworm prevention efforts

SANTA TERESA, N.M. (KVIA) -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins will announce the reopening of the Santa Teresa Cattle Crossing Thursday.

The opening is part of a phased reopening of ports as officials work to restore operations with protocols to prevent the spread of New World screwworm. NWS is a parasite that can infect livestock through open wounds.

The New World screwworm lays eggs that hatch into maggots, which feed on the living flesh of animals, prompting the widespread halt of cattle imports and exports.

Last year, U.S. and Mexican authorities closed the cattle crossings to prevent the spread.

The Santa Teresa POE, the largest in North America, typically handles more than 500,000 head of cattle annually. This cattle trade through the Santa Teresa port represents an economic value of between $1.2 and $1.4 billion per year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced some cattle reports would start Aug. 24. The first port scheduled to open was in Douglas, Arizona.

When the USDA made the announcement, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said allowing a limited resumption of cattle importation is not the finish line, and said there needs to be a "sustained commitment to aggressive use of every proven eradication tool."