Jalisco Reports First Screwworm Case as Mexico Reaches 757 Active Outbreaks
Senasica confirms 85 new cases in one month; Chiapas, Veracruz, and Yucatán remain the most affected regions amid intensified U.S./Mexico eradication efforts
The Mexican state of Jalisco has confirmed its first case of screwworm, joining thirteen other states battling the livestock parasite, according to the National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (Senasica). The case was detected in a feedlot in Encarnación de Díaz and promptly contained, officials said.
The Mexican state of Jalisco lies in western-central Mexico and is roughly 550–600 miles from the nearest point on the U.S. border (typically measured to Laredo, Texas, or Nogales, Arizona). Guadalajara, Jalisco’s capital, is about 600 miles (965 km) south of Laredo, Texas by road. It’s roughly 575 miles from Nogales, Arizona, and about 700 miles from El Paso, Texas. That distance places Jalisco well inland — several states north of Mexico City but still far from the U.S. border region.
As of Nov. 5, Mexico has 757 active outbreaks, up 85 from last month’s total of 672. The majority of cases are concentrated in Chiapas (264), Veracruz (165), and Yucatán (128), followed by Oaxaca (95), Tabasco (45), Campeche (29), Quintana Roo (29), and single cases in Guerrero and Jalisco.
Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) credited swift inspection protocols for containing Jalisco’s case, which was identified during the review of a shipment of 80 cattle from southeastern Mexico. Senasica emphasized that the finding is isolatedand poses no threat to Jalisco’s livestock industry.
The confirmation coincides with a binational review of the U.S./Mexico screwworm eradication campaign, where Sader Secretary Julio Berdegué Sacristán and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins assessed progress and reportedly planned actions to resume livestock exports.
By species, Senasica’s week-45 report lists 506 cases in cattle, 141 in dogs, 44 in pigs, 39 in horses, and 19 in sheep. Since the first outbreak in November 2024, Chiapas alone accounts for half of the 4,520 accumulated cases, followed by Oaxaca (1,119), Tabasco (980), Veracruz (960), and Yucatán (940).
Officials warn that the recent uptick highlights the need for continued surveillance in southeastern regions, wherewarm and humid conditions favor the pest’s persistence.
