As a former Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce and cattle producer, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating effects of animal disease outbreaks. Few threats concern me more than the return of New World Screwworm, a dangerous parasite that poses a serious risk to U.S. livestock and wildlife if we fail to act promptly.

The United States successfully eradicated screwworm in 1966 after decades of hard work. Today, that achievement could be in jeopardy without active coordination among the administration, Congress, and states to combat the threat of NWS spreading from Central America and Mexico into our nation.