By Ryan Hanrahan
Hoosier Ag Today’s C.J. Miller reported that “a second case of the flesh-eating New World screwworm has been confirmed in South Texas, intensifying concerns among agricultural officials and prompting Canada to suspend livestock imports from Texas as authorities mount an aggressive response to prevent the parasite from spreading deeper into the United States.”
“On Friday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced temporary restrictions on livestock imports from Texas. Under the order, cattle, horses and other livestock that originated in Texas or were present in the state within 21 days before entering Canada will be denied entry,” Miller reported. “Canadian officials emphasized that the parasite is unlikely to establish itself permanently because of the country’s colder climate but said precautionary measures were necessary during the summer months.”
“The United States and Canada maintain a substantial cross-border livestock trade network, with animals routinely transported for breeding, feeding and slaughter,” Miller reported. “Canadian authorities imported roughly 550,000 cattle from the United States last year, according to government figures. The Texas outbreak has also prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a disaster declaration covering Zavala and neighboring Uvalde County.”
But USA Today’s Eduardo Cuevas reported that “Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, said Canada was overreacting as Texas and USDA are moving quickly to contain and eradicate screwworm in a limited area of South Texas.
Source : illinois.edu