New World Screwworm Reaches 30 Mexican States, Leaving Only Baja California and Baja California Sur Without Cases
The confirmation of the first New World screwworm case in Sonora left only Baja California and Baja California Sur without reported cases of the pest in Mexico. A total of 30 of the country’s 32 states now have reported cases, with 1,963 active cases remaining.
According to the latest official report, the National Service for Agro-Alimentary Public Health, Safety and Quality (Senasica) has recorded 38,820 cumulative cases between November 20, 2024, and August 18, 2026.
The states with the highest number of cumulative cases are:
- Chiapas: 7,604
- Oaxaca: 5,074
- Veracruz: 4,720
- Yucatán: 2,792
- Puebla: 2,200
- San Luis Potosí: 1,708
- Tabasco: 1,360
- Tamaulipas: 1,308
- Hidalgo: 1,218
- Guerrero: 1,217
- Quintana Roo: 1,159
- Jalisco: 1,093
- Campeche: 1,076
Among the 1,963 active cases, Zacatecas reports 179; Puebla, 166; Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz, 122 each; Yucatán, 117; Jalisco, 100; San Luis Potosí, 98; Nayarit, 97; Querétaro, 86; Chihuahua, 74; Guanajuato, 69; Hidalgo, 59; Colima, 58; the State of Mexico, 57; and Morelos, 55.
By species, active cases are concentrated primarily in cattle, with 876 cases, and dogs, with 726.
In the cumulative figures, cattle account for 22,770 cases, while canines account for 9,089.
First Case Confirmed in Sonora
The Sonora case was detected in a bovine from Munihuasa, in the municipality of Álamos, approximately 17 kilometers from Chihuahua in northern Mexico.
The state government and livestock organizations established a 20-kilometer sanitary containment zone, released 360,000 sterile flies, and ordered preventive treatments for adult cattle and calves.
Meanwhile, the Regional Livestock Union of Sonora stated that cattle movement continues under inspections and sanitary requirements.
The spread of the pest has led to a strategy focused on surveillance, movement controls, and the release of sterile insects.
The National Agricultural Council has estimated losses of more than $2 billion per year and warned that Mexico does not have enough sterile flies to eradicate the pest, although it acknowledged that Senasica has managed to slow its expansion.
Source: holanews
