New World Screwworm Detected 700 Miles From U.S. Border

Cattle in a feedlot On May 11, the USDA suspended imports of live cattle, horses and bison from Mexico for the next 15 days to protect U.S. livestock from New World Screwworm (NWS). NWS has been detected in Mexico only 700 miles from the U.S. border. The measure immediately drew opposition from Mexico. It is likely that the 15-day suspension will be extended due to Mexico’s lack of action.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) supports the USDA’s decision. They said it is not a matter of if the U.S. will get the deadly pest, but when.

The U.S. has not faced the NWS threat for 60 years. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the cattle industry took 30 years to recover from the last NWS invasion.

NCBA CEO Colin Woodall said the ineptitude of the Mexican government and the inability to allow planes carrying sterile flies to do their job resulted in the flies migrating further north.

Reuters reports that Mexico will not close the southern Central America border to cattle. However, it will tighten the flow of cattle from the south to limit the potential spread of the screwworm. Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue said closing the border is complex, and it would impact the national meat supply.

NWS not only poses a threat to the U.S. beef and cattle herd, which is the smallest in 60 years, but it can also be lethal to other species.