Mexico says screwworm case near U.S. border contained, no flies detected in north

Mexico's government said on Monday it had immediately addressed a case of an animal infected with the flesh-eating screwworm parasite in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, which borders the United States.

Mexico's agriculture ministry said in a statement that there is no risk of adult screwworm fly emergence due to the early detection of the infested cattle, which was confirmed on Sept. 21.

Fly traps in the northern area of Mexico have not detected a single screwworm fly, the statement added.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture first confirmed the case detected less than 70 miles (113 km) from the U.S.-Mexico border in a statement late Sunday, saying it was analyzing the information and "will pursue all options to release sterile flies in this region as necessary."

The screwworm parasite has moved northward through Central America and Mexico, putting the U.S. cattle industry on high alert and prompting the U.S. government to keep its border mostly closed to Mexican cattle imports since May.

Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue spoke with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins about the case by phone, the ministry's statement said.