FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Mexico’s Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue said the country will not “subordinate” itself to U.S. demands regarding potential restrictions on Mexican cattle imports due to the screwworm pest.
Berdegue’s comments came during a tour of southeastern Mexico with President Claudia Sheinbaum.
He was responding to a letter from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who warned of restrictions starting April 30 unless the issue is resolved. Rollins also requested full authorization for U.S. contractor aircraft to assist in eradication efforts.
“We collaborate and cooperate, but we never subordinate ourselves,” Berdegue said in a social media post.
The screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax), a parasitic fly species native to the Americas, feeds on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals and can infect humans, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Earlier this month, Mexican authorities confirmed the first human case of screwworm-related myiasis in a 77-year-old woman from Chiapas.
PAHO noted that human myiasis often occurs in rural areas where fly populations thrive due to the presence of domestic animals. An investigation is ongoing.