US suspends livestock imports from Mexico over screwworm infestations

The U.S. connected Sunday suspended imports of livestock done the confederate U.S. borderline to forestall the dispersed of New World screwworm, a determination that was swiftly criticized by Mexico

“I americium announcing the suspension of unrecorded cattle, equine and bison imports done U.S. confederate borderline ports of introduction effectual immediately,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said successful a societal media post.

🚨Due to the menace of New World Screwworm I americium announcing the suspension of unrecorded cattle, horse, & bison imports done U.S. confederate borderline ports of introduction effectual immediately.

The past clip this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle manufacture to…

— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) May 11, 2025

Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué initially rebuked the determination connected his authoritative societal media account, according to El Universal newspaper, penning that specified “unilateral measures” bash not lend to associated efforts to power the New World screwworm (NWS) scourge.

However, Berdegué soon replaced the message, saying that portion helium did not hold with the decision, helium was assured an statement connected however to woody with the infestation could beryllium reached.

The NWS plague is simply a devastating parasitic infestation that tin beryllium fatal for livestock, pets, wildlife, and, connected uncommon occasion, humans.

Just implicit 2 months ago, the U.S. and Mexico reached an statement connected the handling of the flesh-eating maggots, which infest livestock and wildlife by burrowing into the tegument of surviving animals.

Cattle trafficking successful Central America, linked to the dispersed of #screwworm, allows transgression networks to prehend territory for cause trafficking, launder money, extort, and diversify their income. Learn more: https://t.co/HLitYcrglL pic.twitter.com/f3341gdvPg

— InSight Crime (@InSightCrime) December 1, 2024

While Rollins acknowledged Berdegué’s efforts to code the plague, she said the suspension of livestock imports volition let the U.S. to reassess whether existent mitigation standards stay sufficient. She insisted the determination was “not astir authorities oregon punishment of Mexico.”

“The extortion of our animals and information of our nation’s nutrient proviso is simply a nationalist information contented of the utmost importance,” Rollins said successful a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) property release. “Once we spot accrued surveillance and eradication efforts, and the affirmative results of those actions, we stay committed to opening the borderline for livestock trade.”

The USDA acknowledged “the economical impact” the suspension volition person connected some Mexico and the U.S., but took the determination aft the pest had been detected successful Oaxaca and Veracruz, astir 1,120 km from the U.S. border.

“There has been unacceptable northward advancement of NWS and further enactment indispensable beryllium taken to dilatory the bluish progression of this deadly parasitic fly,” the USDA said.

The U.S. eradicated NWS successful the 1960s, but it remains endemic successful South America and the Caribbean, with outbreaks occurring successful Central America and Mexico.

Rollins said the past clip the NWS invaded the U.S., it took 30 years for its cattle manufacture to recover. “This cannot hap again,” she said, adding that the suspension would beryllium imposed connected a “month-by-month basis.”

Larvae of the New World screwworm alert infect mammals by burrowing into unfastened wounds. (University of Florida)

In September 2024, Mexico’s Agriculture Ministry published an advisory astir the screwworm successful which it issued recommendations for the power and prevention of the plague.

Two months later, the U.S. temporarily paused imports of Mexican cattle aft a lawsuit of NWS was identified successful the southernmost authorities of Chiapas.

Mexican cattle exports to the U.S. were resumed successful February pursuing the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

Late past month, Rollins wrote to Berdegué informing that imports of Mexican cattle would erstwhile again beryllium restricted if further steps to code the NWS plague were not taken.

Just 4 days ago, Berdegué met with Rollins successful Washington, D.C., to discuss, among different issues, the installation of a works successful Chiapas to make sterile NWS flies, a process that tin pb to a diminution successful the wide screwworm population.

With reports from Reuters, Infobae, El Economista and USA Today