Border crossing reopens after screwworm safety measures

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 20:02 · Archive

A New Mexico border crossing closed for nearly two years due to flesh-eating screwworm reopened on Monday for Mexican cattle imports.

A border crossing in Columbus, New Mexico, reopened on Monday for Mexican cattle imports after being closed for nearly two years due to the New World screwworm outbreak. The screwworm is a fly larva that burrows into the flesh of livestock, pets and humans, and has threatened the $113 billion U.S. cattle industry. The crossing is the third to resume Mexican cattle imports under new safeguards, which include tests, shots and inspections that occur before animals reach the border.

The parasite was largely eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s but reappeared in Mexico in 2024. The first confirmed U.S. case was in Texas in June, and more than 60 cases have since been confirmed in Texas and New Mexico, affecting cattle, sheep, goats, horses and dogs. Last week, the first case in U.S. wildlife was confirmed after a hunter found screwworm in an elk.

Reopening the crossing could help ease cattle shortages as the U.S. rebuilds drought-depleted herds, though experts caution shoppers should not expect quick relief on beef prices. Officials and ranchers in both countries say the layers of treatment and inspection provide confidence that imported livestock will not carry screwworm through the ports. However, flies can cross the border independently, meaning ranchers, hunters and pet owners should remain vigilant. Before the current outbreak, the U.S. imported about 1 million head of cattle per year.

How it is being reported

• With tighter checks for flesh-eating screwworm, a border crossing reopensStockyards in New Mexico that had closed due to the New World screwworm outbreak are bustling again.Clickorlando · 26 Oct, 19:35
• With tighter checks for flesh-eating screwworm, a border crossing reopensStockyards in New Mexico that had closed due to the New World screwworm outbreak are bustling again.News4Jax · 26 Oct, 19:35

In this story: New Mexico · Texas · Mexico · United States · Columbus

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