US-Mexico Joint Inspection Targets Cattle Borer Worm in Coahuila

Animal‑health specialists from the United States began a series of technical inspections in the Mexican state of Coahuila to evaluate the region’s prevention and control mechanisms against the cattle borer worm, a major threat to the local livestock sector. The week‑long visit, led by USDA‑APHIS staff, includes tours of cattle farms, feed‑lot pens, collection centres and road‑side verification points to ensure protocols meet binational standards for preventing the entry and spread of the parasite.

The inspections are part of a broader cooperative agenda involving Mexican authorities—including the Secretariat of Rural Development, SENASICA, and the regional livestock union—aimed at strengthening joint strategies. Meetings will review sanitary fences, animal‑movement controls, and field verification at points of inspection in Castaños, Ramos Arizpe and other locations. The collaboration follows reports of rising cases in Texas, where the U.S. Department of Agriculture recorded 15 infestations (12 active), and in Mexico’s Tamaulipas state, which reports over 100 active cattle cases, dozens of inactive cases, and the first confirmed human infection.

Mexican officials note that eradication could take five to seven years despite intensified measures such as sterile‑fly releases, antiparasitic treatments and ongoing surveillance. The United States has temporarily halted live‑animal trade to curb further spread, underscoring the economic and public‑health implications of the outbreak.