US suspends Mexican live cattle exports over screwworm pest
May 11, 2025, 3:23 PM
MEXICO CITY (AP) 鈥� 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鈥檚 Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegu茅 said on social media Sunday.
Berdegu茅 said on social platform X that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, Brooke Rollins, who had informed him of the decision.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 agree with this measure, but we鈥檙e confident we鈥檒l reach an agreement sooner rather than later,鈥� Berdegu茅 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 鈥渦nacceptable northward advancement鈥� of the screwworm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement Sunday.
鈥淎dditional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly,鈥� 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鈥檚 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.
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