A New Outbreak Sparks Cross-Border Measures to Halt a Flesh-Eating Parasite
In the southern regions of Mexico, a concerning development has emerged with the infection of six individuals by a flesh-eating parasite. This has prompted officials in both northern Mexican states and the United States to enhance their preventive strategies to stop the parasite from advancing northward.
Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, announced earlier in the month that the U.S. would temporarily cease cattle crossings from Mexico. This prohibition remains active, and the USDA plans to reassess the situation every 30 days.
As part of Mexico’s response, a new initiative has been deployed, focusing on rigorous animal inspections in five northern states, including Sonora, which are key exporters of cattle to the United States. This effort aims to ensure the parasite does not spread further.
Furthermore, the USDA has declared a $21 million investment to upgrade a facility dedicated to producing fruit flies on the Mexico-Guatemala border. Once renovations are complete, this facility will produce an additional 60 to 100 million sterile New World Screwworm flies, a strategic move to control the parasite’s spread, as stated by the USDA.
The New World Screwworm was initially identified in a cow in southern Mexico last November, which resulted in a prolonged border closure for cattle between the U.S. and Mexico. Throughout this period, officials from both nations collaborated to develop protocols to curb the parasite’s transmission.
The Mexican health secretary has verified that the larvae of these flesh-eating flies have now infected six people in the country.
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