Proactive New World Screwworm Prevention
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
Last week Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality confirmed a new case of New World screwworm in Sabinas Hidalgo, located in the state of Nuevo León, less than 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Lauren Stump says the USDA is taking proactive steps to track New World Screwworm in Mexico and prevent its spread into the U.S.
Stump… “ A lot of this work happens focusing on what's happening in Mexico. How do we stop that pest from spreading in Mexico and in being partners with them in eradication to protect the US southern border, we have to enhance that US oversight and surveillance. We've got to get better case reporting, lock down that animal movement that's happening in Mexico to prevent further spread. And at the same time, we're providing traps and lures for screw worms. So we really have an accurate assessment of where the pest is. We're doing proactive trapping in areas where we know it is not yet, so that we have that proactive early signaling. We've also deployed traps along the US border in Texas, in Arizona, and New Mexico, and are looking at deploying traps in California if that situation evolves. So we're doing a lot of proactive steps to make sure that we don't see an incursion into the United States.”
USDA urges residents on the southern border to check their pets and livestock for signs of this flesh eating pest.
