MEXICO CITY (RFD-TV) — A new livestock checkpoint in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, stopped a calf carrying New World screwworm—and the larvae were already dead.
Under Mexico’s reinforced rules, all animals receive a double treatment (ivermectin plus a larvicidal bath). Inspectors treated and checked the full load of 85 head and found no other cases.
This most recent case was discovered 170 miles south of the border, in a shipment of more than 80 animals. Mexico’s ag ministry says this was the second confirmation in two weeks.
The infected animal was a calf, but no other livestock was infected with screwworm. Mexican officials say that when the pest was discovered, it was already dead, primarily due to mandatory treatments in Mexico.
A detection was reported last month, located closer to the US, just 70 miles south of the Texas border. Officials said this incident is separate from the Sept. 20 detection in Sabinas Hidalgo, which was officially declared inactive on Oct. 5 after tracing, wound care for thousands of animals, trapping, and sterile-fly releases.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Border controls and mandatory treatments in Mexico, plus a new U.S. tool (Dectomax-CA1), are tightening the net on screwworm. Mexico’s tougher, two-step treatment and added checkpoints are catching cases before they can spread—good news for producers near the border.
On the U.S. side, regulators have conditionally approved Dectomax-CA1 (doramectin injection) for the prevention and treatment of screwworm in cattle, with 21 days of reinfestation protection. The move is meant to get producers a tool now while full-effectiveness data are finalized. Label restrictions and withdrawal times still apply, and veterinarians are urging the targeted use of these products as part of an integrated parasite control plan to help prevent animals from developing resistance to treatments.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says she has been in touch with Mexican officials. As a result of this latest detection, the USDA will send crews to the region to deploy traps and release more sterile flies. Rollins says the USDA’s number one goal remains keeping the U.S. herd safe and secure.
The new antitrust agreement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) aims to enforce antitrust laws and monitor market activity across the ag sector.
October 17, 2025 12:27 PM
·
President Donald Trump says a deal is nearly done on lowering beef prices, but he has not released details.
October 17, 2025 11:31 AM
·
Peel says Mexico has a much greater capability to expand its beef industry than it did 20 or 30 years ago in terms of its feeding and packing infrastructure.
October 16, 2025 03:59 PM
·
The impacts of the government shutdown have reached commodity growers with crops to move, ag economists monitoring the harvest without key data reporting, and meat producers in need of new export markets.
October 16, 2025 01:03 PM
·
Industry leaders say $11 billion in new investments could turn the tide as dairy producers face shrinking margins and growing uncertainty.
October 15, 2025 11:53 AM
·
Alan Bjerga with the National Milk Producers Federation joins us to discuss the idea behind the campaign and why accurate labeling on plant-based beverages matters to both consumers and dairy producers.
October 14, 2025 04:47 PM
·
Hughes shares how he’s preparing for the competition, his partnership with Bass Fishing Hall of Famer Mark Davis, and his journey from cattle ranching to professional bass fishing.
October 14, 2025 04:39 PM
·
Cottage cheese sales are on the rise across the U.S., and industry leaders believe interest on social media is contributing to the surge in consumer demand.
October 14, 2025 04:16 PM
·
“USDA can no longer keep wasting its time and personnel to deploy Commissioner Miller’s infamous traps, which USDA has deployed, tested, and has proven ineffective.”
October 14, 2025 01:19 PM
·
