Bird Flu May Have Disappeared, But A Parasite “Screwworm” Has Come For The Beef

Beef ranchers in Mexico have been struggling with a parasite called a “screwworm”. The flesh-eating parasite has been infecting cattle to the point that the United States has banned entry into the country from Mexican-raised beef cattle.

Edi Valencia Santos, a rancher and caretaker, said that Mexican government officials have come to his community to talk to people with livestock, but so far without resources. He has had five infected animals on the ranch so far.

In the southern state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala, the New World screwworm fly’s rapid spread appears to have caught most ranchers off guard, despite memories of previous outbreaks in the 1980s and 1990s.

U.S. officials worry that if the fly reaches Texas, its maggots could cause large economic losses, something that happened decades ago, according to a report by The Associated Press.

Despite cattle in this region going to domestic consumption rather than to the U.S., the presence of the screwworm in Mexico has frozen cattle exports to the U.S. nationwide.

This decision will surely drive up the already rising cost of beef in both the U.S. and Mexico, and the parasite takes its toll on the economic landscape.

Ground Beef Prices Hit Another Record High

Bird flu obviously took its toll on dairy cattle and the poultry industry, but now it looks like beef prices won’t let up.

Mexico is building a plant with U.S. support in Chiapas to produce sterile flies, which have proven effective at stopping the spread, but it won’t be ready until next year. Meanwhile, the price of medicines used to treat livestock infected with the screwworm have soared in price. –Associated Press

Mexican ranchers have taken to applying gasoline or lime to the open wounds in an attempt to coax the parasitic worms out of the animal’s body. Any open wound provides a pathway for entry by the parasite, so keeping up with constant wound care on animals also adds additional stress on the ranchers.

What a strange coincidence, now that bird flu is no longer an “issue”, a new problem is arising in cattle. Do you think it is just a mere coincidence? Or is there an active takedown of meat animals in order to push humans toward a more plant-based or processed foods diet? Let us know!