Pennsylvania orders animal-movement limits as officials warn of New World screwworm risk

Pennsylvania’s active quarantine order restricts the movement of livestock, birds, dogs, cats and other warm-blooded domestic animals from places where New World screwworm exists or is reported. The preventive rules affect farms, livestock haulers, shelters, rescue groups, breeders, exhibitors and pet owners moving animals into or through the state.

Pennsylvania currently reports no confirmed cases of New World screwworm in livestock, pets, wildlife or humans. State officials say the order is intended to reduce the chance that the flesh-feeding parasite enters through animal movement.

What the order requires

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture says the order took effect June 9, 2026. It was published in the June 27 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and remains in effect unless the department rescinds or modifies it.

The order defines a quarantine area as any place outside Pennsylvania — including a state, territory, province or foreign country — where New World screwworm exists or is reported to exist. It applies to all warm-blooded domestic animals, including livestock, birds, dogs, cats and other companion animals.

Animals originating in a quarantine area generally must enter or pass through Pennsylvania with a certificate of veterinary inspection, or equivalent official documentation from a state or federal animal-health official, issued within seven days before entry or transit. The document must state that each animal was individually inspected and found free of obvious wounds and evidence of screwworm infestation.

The order separately defines an infested county as a county with a detection during the previous 30 days. An infested zone is an area of at least 20 kilometers around a detection in an animal or of wild flies. Those definitions matter because the treatment requirement is tied to an infested zone, not automatically to every location included in the broader quarantine area.

Animals originating in or transiting an infested zone must receive a preventive systemic treatment authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Environmental Protection Agency before entering or passing through Pennsylvania. The product must remain within its labeled duration of action, and the product name plus the date and route of administration must be recorded on the certificate.

Special restrictions for dogs and cats

Dogs and cats originating from a state with a quarantine area cannot be brought into Pennsylvania for sale, adoption, fostering or transfer of ownership or possession.

Dogs and cats originating in a quarantine area for other permitted purposes must have a Pennsylvania-issued import permit, a certificate of veterinary inspection issued within seven days before entry or transit, and authorized preventive treatment recorded on the certificate. The treatment must remain within the product’s labeled duration of action.

These rules do not create a blanket ban on all animal travel into Pennsylvania. Requirements depend on where the animal originated, whether it came from or passed through an infested zone and the purpose of the movement. Affected-area designations can change, so owners and businesses should check current state and federal instructions before travel.

Who should plan ahead

Farmers and livestock haulers may need to schedule an accredited veterinarian’s inspection within the seven-day documentation window. Shelters, rescue organizations, breeders and exhibitors should confirm whether a planned transfer, adoption, foster placement, fair movement or other shipment is allowed before arranging transport.

Pet owners moving dogs or cats should not assume that a routine health certificate is enough. The origin state, travel route and purpose of the movement determine whether a permit, certificate, inspection or preventive treatment is required.

Animals moved in violation of the order can be subject to quarantine, examination, treatment or return to their place of origin. The owner, importer, dealer or hauler can be responsible for related expenses and may face civil or criminal penalties allowed under Pennsylvania’s Domestic Animal Law.

What to watch for

New World screwworm larvae develop in the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, often entering through an open wound or natural body opening. Pennsylvania officials urge animal owners to watch for wounds that worsen or fail to heal, weakness, loss of appetite, unusual behavior or live larvae in a wound.

Maggots found in garbage, compost, trash or other dead organic matter are not consistent with New World screwworm. The parasite’s larvae develop in living tissue rather than freely in the environment.

USDA says confirmed U.S. detections and affected-area information can change. Its current status page was updated August 4, 2026, and directs animal owners and transporters to current detection and trade-restriction information.

How to report a suspected case

Pennsylvania residents should contact a veterinarian and report suspected cases to the State Veterinarian’s Office at 717-772-2852. The state’s current guidance says Pennsylvania has not found New World screwworm in animals or people.

Before moving an animal into or through Pennsylvania from an affected area, contact an accredited veterinarian, check the current Pennsylvania and federal affected-area lists, and confirm whether a permit, certificate or preventive treatment is required.

Sources

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