Weekly Livestock-Equine News: October 27, 2025

USDA shares New World Screwworm Response Playbook

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the availability of the New World Screwworm Response Playbook, containing response strategies for federal, state and local responders, including how to manage communications with stakeholders and the public, reducing spread to non-infested animals, and managing NWS on infested premises.

Pictor demonstrates advances in detection of Mycoplasma bovis in cattle

San Diego-based Pictor Holdings published results of a study demonstrating the analytical performance of its PictVet Mycoplasma bovis mastitis assay. The research, conducted with funding from New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries and the University of Melbourne, showed the assay achieved a Positive Percent Agreement (PPA) of 100%, a Negative Percent Agreement (NPA) of 98.4%, and an overall agreement of 98.9% compared to the IDvet ELISA.

LMU-CVM introduces Certificate in Equine Veterinary Medicine

The Lincoln Memorial University-Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine in Tennessee announced a new academic offering – the Certificate in Equine Veterinary Medicine. The certificate allows current DVM students to complete specialized equine courses in addition to their regular curriculum and provides summer placements at ranches, Thoroughbred farms, training facilities and veterinary hospitals. Graduates will receive both a DVM degree and the certificate.

Research on Equine Cushing’s recognized by British Equine Veterinary Association

The British Equine Veterinary Association recognized a research paper on pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), or Equine Cushings disease/syndrome, at its fall conference. The results showed that pergolide mesylate, the most common drug used to treat PPID, may reduce the amount of insulin produced in response to eating in horses and ponies that have PPID together with Insulin Dysregulation. However, a low sugar and starch diet remains important.

Wildlife integrally connected to New World screwworm

While New World screwworm is a threat to livestock, it also affects local wildlife. During the 2016-2017 outbreak in the Florida Keys, 15% of endangered Key Deer died. “Most screwworm migration does not come from adult flies making heroic flights northward,” Dr. Christopher Lee told Bovine Veterinarian. Instead, it comes from the movement of infested animals, including wildlife. “Wherever the animal goes, the parasite goes with them,” he said.

Horse owners in UK warned of ‘significant’ increase in strangles

Data from the Surveillance of Equine Strangles network, which collects reports of laboratory diagnoses from 12 veterinary diagnostic laboratories and equine practices nationwide, confirmed that over 370 cases have already been diagnosed in 2025, surpassing the UK’s annual average of around 300. The increase has renewed calls for equine professionals and owners to strengthen biosecurity and consider vaccination.