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Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Horse Imports Halted At Mexican Border Due To Screwworm
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the suspension of live cattle, horse, and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border due to the continued and rapid northward spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, effective immediately. NWS has been recently detected in remote farms with minimal cattle movement as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles away from the U.S. border. The United States and Mexico continue efforts to interdict and eradicate NWS in Mexico and work in good faith. However, despite these efforts and the economic impact on both countries due to this action, there has been unacceptable northward advancement of NWS and additional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly. As such, effective immediately, the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in conjunction with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will restrict the importation of live animal commodities originating from, or transiting Mexico. This import suspension will persist on a month-by-month basis, until a significant window of containment is achieved. USDA will continue constant collaboration with Mexico, including a review of latest data and metrics in two weeks. Our teams have been in daily communication discussing how we can build on the good work that has been accomplished to improve our strategy toward eradication. Any livestock currently in holding for entry into the United States will be processed normally, this includes an APHIS port Veterinary Medical Officer inspection exam and treatment to ensure they are not carrying NWS. 'The United States has ordered the suspension of livestock imports through ports of entry along our southern border after the continued spread of the New World Screwworm in Mexico. Secretary Berdegué and I have worked closely on the NWS response; however, it is my duty to take all steps within my control to protect the livestock industry in the United States from this devastating pest,' said Secretary Rollins. 'The protection of our animals and safety of our nation's food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance. Once we see increased surveillance and eradication efforts, and the positive results of those actions, we remain committed to opening the border for livestock trade. This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety.' Effective eradication, which remains our shared goal and best interest of both the U.S. and Mexico, requires a three-pronged approach: robust active field surveillance with education and outreach to ensure prevention, treatment, and early detection; controlled animal movement to limit spread; and sustained sterile insect dispersal. Suspending livestock transport through southern ports of entry will assist in the effort to limit northbound transport of NWS through livestock commerce, and will allow the U.S. to reassess whether current mitigation standards remain sufficient. It is important to note the northward spread of NWS is possible through natural wildlife movements, including wildlife that transit the border region without impediment. USDA is taking all possible actions to monitor for, and limit, the northward movement of NWS, including the utilization of the USDA Tick Riders to monitor livestock and wildlife along the southern border region, between the ports of entry, for the presence of U.S. previously and successfully led the eradication of NWS in the U.S. and Mexico, however this cost billions of dollars and took decades. Unfortunately, these recent detections in Mexico show that this dangerous pest is back and remains a serious threat to the health of our animals, our food supply, and the security of our country. BACKGROUND The first case of NWS in Mexico was reported to the U.S. in November 2024. When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, people. In November 2024, after a positive detection of NWS in southern Mexico, USDA shut down the border for live animal trade. In February 2025, USDA resumed imports after APHIS and Mexico agreed to and implemented a comprehensive pre-clearance inspection and treatment protocol to ensure safe movement and steps to mitigate the threat of NWS. Over the last two years, screwworm has spread north throughout Panama and into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and now Mexico. APHIS is releasing sterile flies through aerial and ground release at strategic locations, focusing on Southern Mexico and other areas throughout Central America. A complete list of regions APHIS recognizes as affected by NWS as well as more detailed information on trade restrictions can be found on the USDA APHIS Animal Health Status of Regions website.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US halts live cattle imports from Mexico to quell screwworm spread
The US Department of Agriculture has suspended the transport of live cattle, horses and bison through ports of entry along the border with Mexico for at least two weeks. It's part of an effort to curb the spread of New World screwworm, a flesh-burrowing larva that can be fatal to animals and devastate cattle herds. The parasite was detected in Mexican farms as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz, roughly 700 miles from the US border. 'The protection of our animals and safety of our nation's food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance,' Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said in a statement Sunday. 'This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety.' Mexican Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué said on X that he had spoken with Rollins, who informed him of the decision. 'We don't agree with this measure, but we're confident we'll reach an agreement sooner rather than later,' Berdegué said. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also expressed discontent over the US's decision, describing it as 'unfair' amid tariffs imposed on other goods. 'We do not agree with this measure,' Sheinbaum said Monday. 'The Mexican government has been working on all fronts from the very first moment we were alerted to the screwworm.' The US had shut down the border for live animal trade from Mexico in November after screwworms were detected in the southern part of the country, then lifted the ban in February when measures were put in place to evaluate animals before they entered the US. The new import suspension will be reviewed on a 'month-by-month' basis until there is demonstrated containment, USDA said. 'Secretary Berdegué and I have worked closely on the NWS response; however, it is my duty to take all steps within my control to protect the livestock industry in the United States from this devastating pest,' Rollins said. Screwworm flies lay eggs in the open wounds or orifices of warm-blooded animals. These fly larvae, the screwworms or maggots, burrow into the flesh of the animal, which can cause serious damage, leading to infections and death in some instances. Although it primarily affects livestock, it can infest people, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infestations are painful, and the larvae may be visible in a wound. In April, Mexico's Health Ministry confirmed the country's first human case of screwworm in a 77-year-old woman in the southern state of Chiapas. She received antibiotic treatment for the infection and remained in stable condition. Screwworm was declared eradicated in the US in 1966, but an outbreak in 1972 resulted in tens of thousands of cases in livestock across multiple Southern states. Texas alone found 90,000 cases, after reporting 444 the previous year. Since 1982, only a handful of cases have been documented, most notably in 2016 in the Florida Keys, when screwworm infected a deer population. Over the past two years, screwworm has spread north from countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and now Mexico, the USDA said. 'The United States and Mexico continue efforts to interdict and eradicate NWS in Mexico and work in good faith,' the USDA said. 'However, despite these efforts and the economic impact on both countries due to this action, there has been unacceptable northward advancement of NWS and additional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
USDA halts live animal imports through US-Mexico border
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Sunday that the U.S. is halting imports of livestock at ports of entry along the southern border in response to the 'continued spread' of the 'New World screwworm' (NWS) in Mexico. The move comes after NWS was detected in remote farms as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz, approximately 700 miles from the U.S. border, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Rollins stressed that the announcement 'is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety.' '[Mexican Agriculture and Rural Development] Secretary Berdegué and I have worked closely on the NWS response; however, it is my duty to take all steps within my control to protect the livestock industry in the United States from this devastating pest,' Rollins said in a statement. 'The protection of our animals and safety of our nation's food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance. Once we see increased surveillance and eradication efforts, and the positive results of those actions, we remain committed to opening the border for livestock trade,' Rollins continued. The import suspension will continue on a month-by-month basis 'until a significant window of containment is achieved.' The suspension applies to livestock that originate in Mexico or that are transported through Mexico. Rollins pledged to continue working closely with Mexican counterparts to eradicate NWS, saying officials 'have been in daily communication discussing how we can build on the good work that has been accomplished to improve our strategy toward eradication.' NWS was previously eradicated in U.S. and Mexico, according to USDA. The first recent case was reported in Mexico in November 2024, and, that same month, USDA shut down the border for live animal trade. In February 2025, the imports resumed but were subject to 'a comprehensive pre-clearance inspection and treatment protocol.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
12-05-2025
- Health
US suspends Mexican live cattle exports over screwworm pest
MEXICO CITY -- The United States will suspend Mexican exports of live cattle for 15 days to review the joint strategy in the fight against the screwworm, Mexico's Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué said on social media Sunday. Berdegué said on social platform X that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, Brooke Rollins, who had informed him of the decision. 'We don't agree with this measure, but we're confident we'll reach an agreement sooner rather than later,' Berdegué said. The U.S. restricted Mexican cattle shipments in late November following the detection of the pest, but lifted the ban in February after protocols were put in place to evaluate the animals prior to entry into the country. But there has been an 'unacceptable northward advancement' of the screwworm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement Sunday. 'Additional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly,' the statement added. The screwworm is a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly that can invade the tissues of any warm-blooded animal, including humans. The parasite enters animals' skin, causing severe damage and lesions that can be fatal. Mexico's Health Ministry issued an epidemiological alert this month after the first human case of screwworm myiasis was confirmed on April 17 in a 77-year-old woman living in the southern state of Chiapas.
Toronto Star
11-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
US suspends Mexican live cattle exports over screwworm pest
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The United States will suspend Mexican exports of live cattle for 15 days to review the joint strategy in the fight against the screwworm, Mexico's Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué said on social media Sunday. Berdegué said on social platform X that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, Brooke Rollins, who had informed him of the decision.
