First Screwworm Fly Case Confirmed in Chihuahua; Sanitary Measures Activated

Chihuahua has confirmed its first case of the screwworm fly, detected in a calf in the municipality of Hidalgo del Parral. The state's Secretariat of Rural Development announced the finding, which was confirmed through rigorous laboratory analyses conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Mexico's National Service for Agri-food Health, Safety, and Quality (Senasica).

Mauro Parada Muñoz, head of the Secretariat, stated that the suspected case was identified over the weekend, with larvae collected on Monday for genetic sequencing. The confirmation on Tuesday triggered immediate action. Despite this single confirmed case, state authorities are maintaining preventative actions and protocols that have been in place since border closures were implemented to halt the screwworm's progression, particularly noting its spread in Texas.

“

This weekend we had the first suspected case of the screwworm fly, yesterday (Monday) we sent the larvae obtained from the suspected case for analysis, and today they confirmed that we do have this screwworm fly issue in the state of Chihuahua.

State and federal authorities are deploying a sanitary cordon and biological control measures to contain the pest's propagation and safeguard local livestock. Parada Muñoz emphasized the importance of producers reporting any suspicions, highlighting that preventative work over the past two years has aimed to build trust and establish mechanisms for immediate response.

The state government maintains a policy of maximum sanitary surveillance to protect the livestock sector. Officials noted that screwworm behavior is closely linked to climatic factors, with wind currents and storms potentially aiding the long-distance dispersal of the transmitting fly, underscoring the necessity of permanent prevention efforts.

“

The most important thing is that producers report any suspicion. That is one of the objectives of the preventive work we have been doing for two years: to build confidence, train, and have mechanisms that allow us to act immediately in the face of any eventuality.