Screwworm Is Coming to Hawaii (and Beyond): What to Watch For
Last updated: September 2026. By Mia Sgarlato, founder of Pet Passport Club
Hawaii doesn't have screwworm. Nobody in the islands has found a single case, and the state health department still rates the risk as very low. But Hawaii runs the strictest pet import program in the country, and it didn't wait for a case to show up before changing the rules. If you're moving a dog or cat to the islands this year, your health certificate already has a new line on it.
Short answer: As of August 3, 2026, every pet dog entering Mexico from the US needs an NWS Inspection Certificate signed by a USDA-accredited vet no more than 5 days before arrival. No USDA endorsement needed. Cats are exempt. On the way home, your dog needs a separate screwworm freedom certificate from an authorized vet in Mexico, also within 5 days.
Who this is for: This post is for US pet owners headed to Hawaii, and anyone traveling with a dog through the Southwest or south of the border who wants to know what screwworm actually looks like.
What the Screwworm Outbreak Means for Hawaii Right Now
New World screwworm is a fly whose larvae burrow into the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, dogs and people included. The US wiped it out decades ago, but it's been moving north through Central America and Mexico, and on June 3, 2026, USDA confirmed the first US case in a Texas calf.
As of September 5, there have been 48 confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico. Most are cattle, sheep, and goats. Three are dogs: one in New Mexico in June, and two in Texas in late June and late August. No human cases have been acquired in the US.
Hawaii is 2,500 miles of ocean away from the nearest fly, and the state says the likeliest way it ever arrives is inside an infected animal or person on a plane. Dogs are at the top of that list, which is exactly why the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity moved first.
Hawaii's screwworm response is a paperwork change, not a new barrier. The rest of the import process is the same one that's tripped people up for years.
The New Screwworm Line on Your Hawaii Health Certificate
Hawaii's Animal Quarantine Station updated its import requirements on June 3, 2026, the same day the Texas case was announced. The health certificate your mainland vet issues now has to include this exact statement:
"All animals were inspected and found free of evidence of New World Screwworm infestation."
A few things to know about it:
It goes on the same health certificate you were already getting. Hawaii's cert has to be issued within 14 days of arrival, and now it carries this sentence too.
Your vet does a hands-on check. They're looking at wounds, ears, nose, and skin folds for larvae or egg masses before signing.
No extra fee, no extra form. The Direct Airport Release fee is still $185, or $244 if you send documents less than 10 days before arrival.
A missing sentence is a real problem. Hawaii's inspectors read every certificate. If the line isn't there, you're looking at a delay at the airport or, worst case, quarantine while it gets sorted.
Unlike Mexico, which built a whole new certificate with a five-day window, Hawaii folded screwworm into a document you already needed. That's good news. The bad news is that plenty of mainland vets haven't seen the update yet, so send your vet the AQS link before your appointment.
If you'd rather not be the one explaining Hawaii's rules to your vet, our Hawaii guide has the full checklist, including the screwworm statement, so you can hand it over and walk out with a correct certificate.
Everything Else Hawaii Still Requires (Screwworm Didn't Replace It)
The screwworm line sits on top of a process that already needs six months to a year of lead time. Here's the short version of the Direct Airport Release program:
Working microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccines
Two rabies vaccinations on record, the most recent at least 30 days before arrival
A passing FAVN rabies antibody test from an approved lab (Kansas State, Auburn, Missouri, or the DOD lab), with a 30-day wait after the blood draw
Health certificate within 14 days of arrival, now including the screwworm statement
Documents and payment submitted to AQS at least 10 days before you land
When we moved Charli and Oakley from Salt Lake City to Kona this year, the FAVN wait was the long pole, not the health certificate. Screwworm added one sentence to a plan that was already six months deep. That's the right way to think about it.
Screwworm Dog Travel Restrictions on The Mainland
This is the "and beyond" part. If your route to Hawaii, or anywhere, runs through Texas or New Mexico, there are rules on the ground now.
All 50 states have published screwworm-related movement rules for dogs, and Hawaii is one of five that chose to rely on its existing import requirements instead of writing new ones. On the mainland, the pattern looks like this:
The takeaway: a dog driving from Austin to Los Angeles to catch a flight to Honolulu may need a Texas movement check, a California-compliant CVI, and a Hawaii-compliant health certificate, all with different windows. Check your home state, every state you pass through, and your destination.
Signs of Screwworm in Dogs and What Treatment Looks Like
You don't need to be a vet to catch this early. Screwworm larvae only infest an existing opening, so the whole prevention game is wound care.
Watch for:
Maggots or a cluster of white eggs in or around a wound, the ears, nose, eyes, mouth, or genitals
A wound that smells like decay, or that gets bigger instead of smaller
A dog who's suddenly irritable, withdrawn, off their food, or licking one spot constantly
Treatment is a same-day vet visit. The vet removes the larvae, cleans and debrides the wound, and usually starts an antiparasitic and antibiotics. Caught early, dogs recover well. Left for a week, the larvae eat deeper and the wound can turn life-threatening. If you're in a Texas or New Mexico infested zone, the state also wants to know, so your vet will report it.
Before any flight, look your dog over the morning of travel. A scabbed-over dog park scrape is enough for an inspector in Honolulu or Cancún to pull your dog aside.
Screwworm and Hawaii Pet Travel FAQ
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No. As of September 2026, there have been no detections in animals or people in Hawaii, and the state rates the risk as very low. All confirmed US cases are in Texas and New Mexico.
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Not a separate one. Your standard Hawaii health certificate, issued within 14 days of arrival, now has to include the statement that your pet was inspected and found free of evidence of New World screwworm infestation.
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Yes. Hawaii's requirement covers all animals entering the state, so a cat's health certificate needs the same sentence.
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Yes, as long as your dog isn't leaving a designated infested zone without TAHC authorization, and the health certificate carries Hawaii's screwworm statement. Dogs outside the infested zones follow the normal process.
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No. The 5 Day Or Less and Direct Airport Release programs, fees, FAVN, and rabies requirements are unchanged. The only addition is the certificate language.
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A vet removes the larvae, cleans the wound, and treats with antiparasitics and antibiotics. Early cases recover fully. The key is a same-day visit as soon as you see larvae or a wound that won't heal.
Want to bring your dog to Hawaii?
Hawaii's move is a preview of how the rest of the country will handle screwworm if it keeps spreading: not new barriers, just new sentences on documents you already need, each with its own window. The people who get caught are the ones whose vet didn't get the memo. Send them the link, check the certificate before you leave the clinic, and the islands are yours.
The paperwork is the hardest part. We've got it covered.
— Mia + Poppy
