The Mexican federal government announced that it is exhausting all available measures to contain the spread of the New World screwworm, following the United States' decision to suspend imports of bovine, equine, and bison livestock from Mexico for 15 days.

Julio Berdegué, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, explained that a preventive operation was launched as early as May, which included inspections at border checkpoints and the training of veterinary personnel. Despite these efforts, the first confirmed case of infestation was recorded on November 24, prompting authorities to ramp up containment efforts by releasing one billion sterile flies a key method for controlling the pest.

“México no tenía responsabilidad”

Julio Berdegué, secretario de Agricultura 🇲🇽, responsabiliza a EU 🇺🇸 por la propagación del gusano barrenador, al no controlar la plaga en Panamá en 2023.

“Se les fue de control”, acusa. pic.twitter.com/PDziU2TnlA

— Manuel Lopez San Martin (@MLopezSanMartin) May 13, 2025

Berdegué emphasized that the outbreak originated in Panama in June 2023 and has since traveled over 3,700 kilometers to reach the Mexico-Guatemala border. He stressed that initial responsibility for containment lay with the United States, due to its technical capacity and the fact that it operates the only sterile fly production plant in the region.

“It got out of their control,” said Berdegué, who also criticized the lack of response from U.S. authorities to Mexico’s request, made several months ago, to reactivate a sterile fly production plant in Chiapas.

Meanwhile, President Claudia Sheinbaum called the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s measure “unfair,” highlighting that Mexico has complied with all agreed-upon protocols to curb the screwworm’s spread.

Mexico’s livestock sector is facing significant economic losses, estimated at $11.4 million per day, according to the National Agricultural Council. Despite the setback, the Mexican government remains confident that exports will resume within the established timeframe following a review of the implemented measures.

t is worth noting that Mexico had eradicated the screwworm in 1991. The current outbreak now poses both a sanitary and commercial challenge that authorities are working urgently to address in order to protect the nation’s livestock industry.