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\u2019s Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegu\u00e9 said on social media Sunday<\/p>\n
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\u2019s Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegu\u00e9 said on social media Sunday.<\/p>\n
Berdegu\u00e9 said on social platform X that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, Brooke Rollins, who had informed him of the decision. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t agree with this measure, but we\u2019re confident we\u2019ll reach an agreement sooner rather than later,\u201d Berdegu\u00e9 said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But there has been an \u201cunacceptable northward advancement\u201d of the screwworm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdditional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Mexico\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
____<\/p>\n