United States Department of Agriculture
A flesh-eating parasite was found on a goat just miles away on the other side of the U.S. border with Mexico.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins said a New World Screwworm was found in a goat in Mexico’s Coahuila state, just 25 miles south of the border, marking the northernmost point it has been detected in the most recent outbreak.
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What they're saying:
Rollins spoke with reporters about the discovery Tuesday.
"There's no doubt that this is a very, very serious threat to our livestock," Rollins said.
Big picture view:
Cattle ranchers have been monitoring the parasites' progress throughout Mexico for over a year. On Friday, the USDA said they found screwworm in a sheep 31 miles south of the U.S. border.
New World screwworm infections continue to be a problem in parts of South America. The pests were eliminated from the United States decades ago, but they have been detected moving northward through Central America and Mexico in recent years.
According to a factsheet produced by the department, the USDA conducts intensive surveillance along the border to detect screwworm. It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates and spreads rapidly in a country mainly due to people moving infested animals over large distances.
Why you should care:
The screwworm, a fly that eats warm-blooded animals alive, could eventually kill the animal if it is not treated properly. The damage could lead to severe economic losses. In Texas alone, the economy there could take a $1.8 billion hit. Experts say a loss that impactful would shrink the U.S. cattle supply and raise beef prices all over America.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by Reuters. This story was reported from Orlando.