Posted: Tuesday, October 22, 2024. 1:49 pm CST.
Photo Credit: MAFSE
By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise, Jose Abelardo Mai, along with CEO Servulo Baeza and Adviser Hugh O’Brien, is in Honduras attending crucial meetings on the New World Screwworm, a pest that poses a severe threat to Belize’s livestock industry. They will later travel to Panama to address the same issue.
The visit, organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE) and the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), aims to enhance sensitization, information dissemination, and campaign strategies to prevent the screwworm from entering Belize.
“His visit to Honduras continues today as the top level MAFSE team studies the efforts of our Central American colleagues in identification, prevention, eradication and educational efforts to contain this pest that poses a threat to our livestock industry,” the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE) said in a statement posted on social media on Tuesday.
These efforts are crucial in maintaining Belize’s screwworm-free status, which has been achieved through vigilant monitoring and proactive measures.
In mid-September, eight New World Screwworm cases were declared in southern Honduras in the departments of Choluteca and Olancho, prompting the Government of Honduras to declare a national animal health alert. The government immediately implemented preventive and elimination measures and intensified surveillance, particularly in the affected areas.
Photo Credit: MAFSE
The collaboration between IICA, USDA, MAFSE, and BAHA underscores the importance of regional cooperation in addressing agricultural threats and ensuring food security. Belize remains screwworm-free, and with continued vigilance and coordinated efforts, the country aims to maintain this status for as long as possible.
Though the New World Screwworm poses a severe threat to the livestock industry, the director of the National Service of Agricultural Health and Food Safety (Senasa), Emilio Aguilar, said that all warm-blooded animals, including birds and humans, are susceptible to this disease. According to Prensa Latina, Aguilar noted that the greatest economic losses occur in cattle, sheep, and goats, and that affected animals suffer weight loss and, in severe cases, may die.
The New World Screwworm is a disease caused by the larvae of the fly Cochliomyia hominivorax, which lays its eggs in any open wound of a warm-blooded animal, including humans.
Here in Belize, the Ministry of Agriculture has intensified its prevention campaign since the disease first appeared in the region, initially affecting Panama.
MAFSE advises Belizeans, particularly farmers, that if they see wounds with worms, they should call a veterinarian and report it to BAHA at 824-4872 or text 670-7003.
Photo Credit: MAFSE
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.
© 2024, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.
Comments
More Belize News:
The post Minister of Agriculture Jose Mai travels to Honduras, Panama in bid to strengthen efforts against New World Screwworm appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Tuesday, October 22, 2024. 1:49 pm CST. Photo Credit: MAFSE By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise, Jose Abelardo Mai, along
The post Minister of Agriculture Jose Mai travels to Honduras, Panama in bid to strengthen efforts against New World Screwworm appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
