Mexico Reports Screwworm Case in Sonora Before US Cattle Import Resumption

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On 19 August, Mexican animal health authority Senasica confirmed the first case of New World screwworm in Sonora since 1980, detected in a bovine in the Álamos municipality. The discovery occurred just days before the scheduled 24 August resumption of Mexican cattle exports to the United States, which had been suspended for fourteen months. The USDA had designated Sonora and Chihuahua as the lowest-risk states for this restart due to their inspection programs and distance from southern outbreaks. In response, Mexican authorities established a 20-kilometre sanitary cordon and released 360,000 sterile flies to combat the parasite.

Consequences

The detection threatens the planned reopening of cattle exports at the Agua Prieta border crossing, as the economic damage stems from the impact of such findings on border trade regulations. Given that Sonora was chosen specifically as a low-risk point of entry for the export of up to 40,000 head of cattle per month, the discovery forces an emergency veterinary response to prevent further spread.

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