Live cattle and feeder cattle futures ended sharply lower Tuesday, though feeder contracts trimmed losses before the close, as USDA officials warned that New World Screwworm (NWS) continues to advance northward in Mexico.
The USDA said it remains prepared to respond if the parasite reaches the United States. During a media briefing, officials outlined detection, containment, and eradication plans following Mexico’s confirmation of an NWS case in Coahuila in a five-year-old goat, about 25 miles from the US border—the closest detection of the current outbreak. Officials also dismissed reports that the parasite had been found within one mile of the border.
USDA said Mexico reported eight new detections over the past week, bringing total cases since November 2024 to more than 26,000. While the risk to human health remains low, officials said the parasite poses a serious threat to livestock and wildlife. Female screwworm flies lay eggs in open wounds, and the resulting larvae feed on living tissue, potentially killing infected animals if left untreated.
Should the pest enter the United States, USDA said federal and state officials would implement quarantines, expand surveillance and inspections, conduct trace-back investigations, and release sterile flies to contain outbreaks. Officials added that most new infestations are linked to the movement of infected animals rather than long-distance fly migration, making animal movement controls a key part of the agency’s response strategy.
The outbreak comes as the US cattle herd remains near multi-decade lows and beef prices hover near record highs. Restrictions on Mexican cattle imports have further tightened supplies.
USDA said reopening the border to Mexican cattle will depend on a systemwide assessment of Mexico’s response rather than conditions in any individual state. While officials expressed confidence in Mexico’s livestock treatment protocols and cooperation with SENASICA, they said additional progress is needed in detection, reporting, and monitoring of wildlife and feral animals that can spread the parasite outside official channels.
Officials declined to provide a timeline for resuming cattle imports but said coordination with Mexican authorities has improved significantly over the past year. USDA also said it plans to increase outreach efforts and encouraged producers to follow Screwworm.gov for updates.
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Written by Courtney Shum
