Regional Committee Prioritizes Eradication of Livestock Screwworm

The 91st Extraordinary Meeting of the Regional International Committee on Agricultural Health (CIRSA) held in Palenque, Chiapas, brought together leaders from Central America and the Caribbean to strengthen agricultural and livestock health. The primary focus of the forum is the eradication of the livestock screwworm, a significant threat to rural economies and food security.

Julio Berdegué, Mexico’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, highlighted the urgency of cross-border collaboration, emphasizing that the eradication of the screwworm is vital for protecting rural economies, ensuring animal health, and safeguarding the human right to food.

The plan to combat the plague includes five key strategies overseen by the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) and member countries' agencies: controlling livestock movement, epidemiological surveillance, treating fresh wounds, providing sanitary training, and deploying sterile flies to reduce the pest population.

Member countries—Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic—approved a renewed strategy focusing on technological and coordinated approaches. Strengthened traceability systems were also prioritized to enhance animal health.

Participants acknowledged existing efforts by veterinary services but called for a unified strategy to ensure consistent and effective action. Berdegué underscored that this challenge requires united action and maximum consensus to address it successfully in the shortest time possible.

As the host and current pro tempore president of CIRSA, Mexico underscored its commitment to international cooperation. A technical visit to the facilities of the National Service for Health, Safety, and Agro-Food Quality (SENASICA) in Catazaja, Chiapas, highlighted regional capacity-building and best practices.

Juan Gay Gutiérrez, Director General of Animal Health, SENASICA, noted ongoing efforts involving trained personnel and specialized detection dogs at federal inspection points in Chiapas. Additionally, Cristóbal Zepeda, Regional Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, APHIS-USDA, reiterated existing support from the United States for OIRSA’s eradication initiatives.