A new confirmed case of New World screwworm (NWS) in Mexico—less than 70 miles from the U.S. border—has heightened concerns about the pest reaching American livestock. Mexico’s SENASICA confirmed the case on Sept. 21, noting the infected animal had recently been moved from a region with active NWS outbreaks.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized that protecting the U.S. from NWS is a national security priority, citing the “NWS Bold Plan” announced earlier this year. Since July, the USDA and Mexico have monitored thousands of traps along the border, with no NWS detected so far, and U.S. ports remain closed to imports of cattle, bison, and horses from Mexico.
Industry groups have praised USDA’s actions while pushing for stronger measures. R-CALF USA stressed the severe threat to already-declining U.S. cattle and sheep herds, while NCBA called for expanding sterile fly dispersal programs and expediting construction of a domestic sterile fly facility. Both groups have urged halting livestock movement within Mexico and addressing illegal cattle trafficking from South America.
Photo Credit: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
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