Posted: Thursday, October 9, 2025. 2:42 pm CST.
By Zoila Palma: Mexico has launched a national health and economic response following the re-emergence of the New World screwworm, more than two decades after its eradication, Yahoo reports.
The outbreak has triggered a livestock health crisis and led to the suspension of cattle exports to the United States, jeopardizing a key agricultural sector that exports over one million head of cattle annually. The pest, whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, poses a severe threat to both animal health and rural livelihoods.
The outbreak, first detected in southern Mexico, has spread north to the states of Coahuila and Tamaulipas, prompting U.S. authorities to temporarily close the border to Mexican cattle imports.
The economic impact is estimated at $1.3 billion, with more than 650,000 cattle now unable to be exported, according to Mexico’s National Agricultural Council.
In response, President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration announced a comprehensive containment plan, including large-scale inspections and a livestock conversion program supported by an initial investment of nearly $40 million.
Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, said the government has already inspected 1.8 million animals and deployed larvicidal treatments and surveillance traps.
Experts warn the outbreak threatens decades of binational eradication efforts, with neighboring countries such as Panama, Belize, and Honduras also reporting isolated cases.
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The post International News: Mexico launches emergency response to screwworm outbreak threatening livestock industry appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Thursday, October 9, 2025. 2:42 pm CST. By Zoila Palma: Mexico has launched a national health and economic response following the re-emergence of the New
The post International News: Mexico launches emergency response to screwworm outbreak threatening livestock industry appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
