CANADA BANS TEXAS LIVESTOCK OVER SCREWWORM OUTBREAK

Written by Michael Thervil

CANADA BANS TEXAS LIVESTOCK OVER SCREWWORM OUTBREAK | CATTLE INFECTED BY SCREWWORM | PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN

[Screwworm Texas Canada livestock] Out of an abundance of caution to protect both Canadian consumers and Canadian livestock, Canada has placed a ban on the importation of U.S. state Texas livestock due to the outbreak of the Screwworm parasite. The Screwworm parasite is a flesh-eating parasite that has proven itself to be fatal to livestock. The Canadian ban on Texas livestock also includes horses. The first case of the parasite was detected as early as Wednesday 50 miles (80 km) from the Texas-Mexican border followed by a second case reported this past Friday. While the outbreak in Texas might be new, the outbreak isn’t new in the western hemisphere as thousands of cattle have been infected with the Screwworm parasite in Central America since 2023.

With the outbreak occurring in Texas, it has forced Texas to declare a state of emergency. In doing so, it served as a cue for the Canadian government to enact and enforce a ban on Texas livestock. In response, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated that:

“This pest affects live animals and does not impact inspected Texas beef. Canada’s broad restriction on Texas livestock is an overreaction that is more political than science-based.”

CANADA BANS TEXAS LIVESTOCK OVER SCREWWORM OUTBREAK | DEER INFECTED BY SCREWWORM | PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN

He also referred to the move by the Canadian government to ban Texas livestock as an “overreaction” despite Texas officials declaring a state of emergency over the Screwworm virus infecting Texas livestock. From the perspective of the Canadian government, the Screwworm parasite is a severely adverse parasite. This is due to the parasite being able to lay thousands of eggs in a day into the wounds and natural body openings of both animals and people. Those thousands of eggs hatch into maggots and borrow deep into the flesh of its host causing pain and the likelihood of death. Soon after gestation, these maggots burrow out of their host into the soil and pupate only to spring out as an adult fly weeks later in perpetuity.

The Texas beef industry rakes in an estimated $15 billion annually to the agricultural industry and produces roughly 6.2 billion pounds of beef. With cattle being a $15 billion industry for the state of Texas in conjunction with Canada banning Texas livestock, Texas stands to lose an estimated $71 million in beef export sales to Canada. This massive beef exportation ban by Canada will wreak havoc on many micro to medium sized cattle herders in Texas that rely heavily on beef exports to Canada for revenue.