Published 3 hours ago • loading... • Updated 55 minutes ago
Flesh-eating screwworm detected 25 miles from US border in Mexico, USDA says
Federal officials say the parasite is now the closest to U.S. soil since last September and could threaten livestock supplies.
On Tuesday, The USDA reported a New World screwworm infestation in Mexico just 25 miles from the Texas border, marking the closest encounter to United States soil in recent times.
Thursday's discovery of the parasite in a 5-year-old goat in Coahuila adds to the 32 cases tracked by U.S. officials throughout the Mexican state, where 19 cases remain active.
Economic impacts could reach $1.8 billion in the Lone Star State, and The CDC notes that infestation "can cause painful and foul-smelling wounds" in both animals and people.
Officials maintain that the current risk to livestock and people in the United States remains very low, as the USDA emphasizes the pest "is not currently present" stateside.
Last year, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed the first human case in the United States involving a traveler returning to Maryland, while Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller previously announced a 60-mile detection.