Additional Coverage:
Screwworm Outbreak Prompts US to Halt Cattle Imports from Mexico
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a two-week suspension of live cattle imports from Mexico on Sunday, citing concerns over the northward spread of the screwworm parasite. This temporary closure of the southern border ports aims to allow a review of joint US-Mexico strategies to combat the pest.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that protecting US livestock and the nation’s food supply is a top national security priority. The screwworm, a potentially fatal parasite, has been detected as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz in Mexico, approximately 700 miles from the US border. Rollins assured that the border will reopen to livestock trade once increased surveillance and eradication efforts demonstrate positive results, emphasizing the decision is driven by food and animal safety concerns, not politics.
Mexican officials expressed their disagreement with the suspension. Mexican Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué confirmed he had been informed of the decision by Secretary Rollins.
While disagreeing with the measure, he expressed confidence in reaching a swift agreement with the US. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum echoed this sentiment, calling the decision “unfair” and expressing hope that it wouldn’t deal another blow to Mexico’s economy.
She emphasized Mexico’s ongoing efforts to address the screwworm issue from the moment they were alerted.
The screwworm, the larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, poses a serious threat to warm-blooded animals, including humans. It burrows into the skin, causing potentially fatal lesions.
Mexico’s Health Ministry issued an epidemiological alert this month following the confirmation of a human case in Chiapas. Earlier this year, Texas Parks and Wildlife also issued a warning about the parasite.
This isn’t the first time screwworm has disrupted cattle trade between the two countries. The US restricted shipments in late November but lifted the ban in February after implementing pre-entry animal evaluation protocols.
However, the USDA now says the parasite’s continued northward movement necessitates further action. Over the past two years, the screwworm has steadily advanced north through Central America and now into Mexico.