Mexico Launches Seminar to Fight Cattle Screwworm

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) held the first seminar, exercise, and simulation on the cattle screwworm in northern Mexico, aiming to enhance the skills of technical personnel, veterinarians, and livestock producers from Mexico and Central America.

The event took place June 2-6 at the Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro (UAAAN) in Coahuila, with participation from technical staff from Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama. The seminar was supported by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Armando García, Director, Mexico-US Commission for the Prevention of Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Other Exotic Animal Diseases (CPA), part of the National Service of Health, Safety, and Agro-Food Quality (SENASICA), emphasizes the importance of academic collaboration in developing a comprehensive strategy to eradicate cattle screwworm in Mexico.

The seminar’s inauguration drew 115 attendees. García highlights the need for preventive training in regions free of cattle screwworm to reduce the risk of disease spread. Meanwhile, Diego Montenegro, Representative, IICA Mexico, stresses that joint efforts are essential for eradication. He highlights the importance of communication and outreach to engage communities in control measures.

During the event, Jesús María Montemayor, Minister of Rural Development for Coahuila, outlined steps taken by the state government and producers to prevent the introduction of the screwworm into the region. These include work meetings and the activation of surveillance and notification protocols.

This northern exercise follows two previous simulations conducted in Mexico’s south-southeast region before the disease entered the country. Participants received training on sterile insect technique, diagnosis, cattle screwworm identification, sample collection, wound treatment, and conducted field practice at a cattle production unit in Coahuila.

The seminar aims to build capacity across the region to effectively respond to and control cattle screwworm infestations, protecting livestock industries and regional economies.