Arizona issues dog and cat travel guidance as New World screwworm cases reach 6

Arizona's Office of the State Veterinarian has issued travel guidance for dogs and cats that makes veterinarians accredited by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for verifying destination states' entry requirements as the state's New World screwworm (NWS) case count reaches 6.^1,2 The November 9, 2026, memo, signed by Sarah Heinrich, DVM, assistant state veterinarian with the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA), is addressed to veterinarians and clients.

Arizona has confirmed 6 NWS cases in animals: 2 in dogs, 3 in horses and 1 in a sheep, according to the AZDA case dashboard as of November 13.² The guidance in the memo depends on whether a pet is inside or outside an infested zone.¹

Pets outside an infested zone

Dogs and cats outside an infested zone currently face no movement restrictions within Arizona. Arizona also has no movement requirements of its own for these pets to leave the state.¹

The memo advises owners with a trip planned to review the destination state's current import requirements, starting with interstatelivestock.com. The owner then needs an appointment with a USDA-accredited veterinarian for a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) and any other required documents.¹

Related: See our full New World screwworm coverage

The memo says it is up to the accredited veterinarian to verify the website's information with the destination state's animal health official. The reason given is that the NWS situation "is dynamic" and destination states may update entry requirements before website changes take effect.¹

Pets inside an infested zone

Dogs and cats moving within Arizona from an infested zone need to be on an FDA-approved, conditionally approved, or emergency-authorized treatment for NWS. The memo says owners can make an appointment with their regular veterinarian for help choosing a medication.¹

Leaving Arizona from an infested zone requires 3 things: an Arizona NWS premovement permit, an electronic CVI, and any additional requirements from the destination state. If the destination state requires its own entry permit number, the number must come from the destination state.¹

The memo also advises owners to review destination requirements well before departure so the veterinarian has time to complete outreach with the destination state.¹

dvm360 has covered FDA emergency authorizations for NWS in small animals, including fluralaner in dogs and Capstar and generic nitenpyram in dogs and cats.

Where Arizona's cases stand

Animal health officials establish a mandatory 20-km (12.4-mile) infested zone around every confirmed detection. Arizona has 3 active zones.² Animals cannot leave an infested zone until movement restrictions are lifted unless the state veterinarian directs otherwise. Self-inspection is suspended while a zone is active.^3,4

The state's first detection, a dog in Cochise County, was announced by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on October 28, 2026. Samples from the dog were tested and confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.⁵ In the following days, AZDA also confirmed detections in a horse in Cochise County, plus a sheep and a horse in Greenlee County.³

The fifth case was a domesticated dog near Thatcher in Graham County with no known history of travel. The Thatcher dog was approximately 75 miles from the state's index case and approximately 32 miles from the closest active case. An expanded infested zone was established to include Graham County.³

The sixth case involved a domesticated horse near Pearce in Cochise County, also with no known history of travel. The Pearce horse was approximately 5 miles from the index case.⁴

USDA continues sterile fly releases and construction of a sterile fly dispersal facility in Douglas, Arizona.^2,4

Reporting suspected cases

Veterinarians, animal shelters, livestock producers, horse owners, pet owners, and outdoor recreationists must inspect animals daily for open wounds, according to AZDA. Wounds infested with maggots consistent with NWS should be reported immediately to diseasereporting@azda.gov or to AZDA Animal Services at 602-542-4293, Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM (Mountain Time).²

References

1. Heinrich S. Travel guidance for dogs and cats. Memorandum. Arizona Department of Agriculture, Office of the State Veterinarian. November 9, 2026. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://agriculture.az.gov/sites/default/files/2026-11/Cat%20and%20dog%20travel%20memo%20for%20website.pdf
2. Confirmed New World screwworm cases and infested zones. Arizona Department of Agriculture. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://agriculture.az.gov/divisions/animal-services/state-veterinarians-office/new-world-screwworm
3. Arizona detects fifth case of New World screwworm, expands infested zone into Graham County. News release. Arizona Department of Agriculture. Posted by Arizona Veterinary Medical Association November 11, 2026. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://azvma.org/arizona-detects-fifth-case-of-new-world-screwworm-expands-infested-zone-into-graham-county/
4. Arizona detects sixth case of New World screwworm, expands current infested zone in Cochise County. News release. Arizona Department of Agriculture. Posted by Arizona Veterinary Medical Association November 11, 2026. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://azvma.org/arizona-detects-sixth-case-of-new-world-screwworm-expands-current-infested-zone-in-cochise-county/
5. USDA confirms New World screwworm in Arizona. News release. US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. October 28, 2026. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-confirms-new-world-screwworm-arizona