Flesh-eating screwworm found in Mexico, just 31 miles away from American border, prompts concerns among USDA

On Friday, the US Department of Agriculture raised an alarm after a flesh-eating, parasitic fly was found in a young sheep in Mexico within 31 miles (50 km) of the US border. The screwworm, which eats warm-blooded animals alive, has the potential to cause millions of dollars in economic ​damage to the US Economy.

In the Friday statement, USDA noted the detection of the worm heightens the risk for America's beef industry and cattle producers, who ​have feared for more than a year that the pest would cross ​into the US and infect livestock after spreading northward in Mexico.

It is pertinent to note that this was the latest detection of the fly, commonly called the New World Screwworm, in years. According to Reuters, the fly was inside a six-month-old sheep ​in Mexico's Coahuila state. The USDA emphasised that this was the closest the parasite had come to the United States during the most recent outbreak, despite a sprawling effort by the USDA and Mexico to contain the pest.

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Why it is concerning

Experts warned that if the fly enters the United States, it could cause a major spike in record beef prices by keeping more calves out of ​the American cattle supply, Reuters reported. They noted that an outbreak in the United States could cause $1.8 billion in damage to ‌Texas' ⁠economy alone, according to a USDA estimate.

Texas would be vulnerable since it is the biggest American cattle-producing state and also borders Mexico. It is important to note that the American cattle herd is already at its lowest level in 75 years, and beef prices have set record highs.

Meanwhile, Mexico's Agriculture Ministry or anyone in authority in the Latin American nations is yet to respond to the matter. Washington has ⁠blocked cattle imports from Mexico for over a year in an effort to keep screwworm south of the border.

The matter is concerning since female screwworm ​flies lay hundreds of eggs in wounds on any warm-blooded ​animal. Once ⁠the eggs hatch, the larvae use their sharp, hooked mouths to burrow through living flesh — feeding, enlarging the wound and eventually killing their host if left untreated.

It is also important to point out that the USDA ⁠has invested ​millions of dollars to set up production ​facilities that breed sterile flies, the most powerful tool for quelling an outbreak, though the facilities have not yet come online.

With inputs from Reuters.