Tennessee tightens animal import rules amid screwworm threat

1:13 p.m. June 5, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

A small wound on a cow, horse, goat, dog, or cat may not look like much at first.

But state agriculture officials are warning Tennessee animal owners to take wounds seriously after New World screwworm – a parasite whose larvae feed on living tissue – triggered new import restrictions for animals entering the state.

For Moore County farmers, pet owners, breeders, and anyone who hauls animals across state lines, the message is plain: check the rules before bringing animals into Tennessee.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture issued an emergency order Thursday, June 4, restricting the movement of certain animals into Tennessee from areas where New World screwworm has been detected or where the risk is considered high. The order took effect immediately and is set to expire Sept. 4 unless extended or rescinded.

Anyone planning to buy, sell, show, or transport animals from outside Tennessee should check the state rules before loading the trailer.

Moore County warning came last year

Will Thomas, an Extension Agent with the Moore County Extension Office, warned local producers and animal owners about the threat in May 2025, noting that Tennessee had not seen any confirmed cases but that they should stay alert.

Thomas warned that a key sign of screwworm infestation is a wound that worsens rather than heals. Other warning signs include a foul odor, restlessness in the animal, deep or rapidly growing lesions, and wounds that appear to be crawling with maggots.

“With good control measures, USDA hopes to stop the spread before it can affect our border states and work even further north,” Thomas wrote.

Now Tennessee has tightened its import rules, and Thomas’ warning feels a lot closer to home.

New World screwworm is not an ordinary fly problem. It is a parasitic disease caused by larvae that feed on living tissue, often at the edges of wounds or around moist areas such as the nostrils, ears, eyes, mouth, or genital area. According to the state, it can affect warm-blooded animals, including livestock, birds, pets, and humans. Without proper medical care, infections can be fatal.

The emergency order does not mean Tennessee has a confirmed outbreak. It does mean the state is trying to tighten the gate before the parasite gets a foothold here.

What the order requires

The rules apply to animals being imported from infected zones, infected states, or high-risk counties. They cover a wide range of animals, including cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, cats, birds, and certain wildlife. In short, the order reaches well beyond commercial livestock.

Animals brought into Tennessee from an infected state or high-risk county, but outside an infected zone, must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. That certificate must state that the animals were inspected and found free of screwworm larvae infestation. It is valid for no more than seven days from the inspection date.

Animals coming from an infected zone face stricter requirements. They must have a veterinary inspection certificate, proof of effective treatment, and prior permission from the Tennessee State Veterinarian’s Office at least 48 hours before entering Tennessee. All animals in the shipment must also be free of wounds.

If any animal in the shipment is suspected of having New World screwworm or has open wounds, the shipment will not be allowed into Tennessee until the animal is examined, tested if needed, treated, and healed.

The order also includes narrow exemptions for some poultry, swine, and slaughter-only shipments, but those exceptions depend on how and why the animals are being moved.

State officials are urging animal owners to watch for wounds that worsen, smell bad, drain fluid, or leave an animal restless, lethargic, or isolated.

Suspected cases must be reported to the Tennessee State Veterinarian’s Office within 24 hours at (615) 837-5120 or animal.health@tn.gov.