First Dog Infected with Screwworm, Concerns Rising 

Five case of New World Screwworm has been confirmed in Belize, and one of them includes a dog infection. The growing number of cases has raised major concerns for the country’s cattle industry. The first case was reported less than a month ago in the Toledo District. Since then, 4 more infections have been confirmed within the Crique Sarco village and San Pedro Columbia Village in the Toledo District.

Luis Pook from the Ministry of Agriculture told News 5 that these five cases include infections from 4 cattle and one dog. Pook stated that the minister has a team on the ground to monitor the cases. “We suspect that bats have something to do with the possibility that there are more cases popping up, because whenever you have some bats that bite the animals, they cause wounds, and the wounds attract the flies,” Pook said.

The ministry also suspects that a second or third generation of screwworm flies may be active in the two affected communities.

Prime Minister John Briceño reassured the public that protocols with Mexico are in place to manage cattle exports. “What is important is that we have worked out a protocol with the Mexicans on how to export our cattle,” he said. Briceño added that the condition does not affect the meat, as cattle can be treated and restored to health within days.

“This is not something that affects the meat. If you see the animal with the screwworm, you cure it, and five days later it is a healthy animal.”

Briceño added, “The plan is we have a coral area where we inspect the animal in Belize, and it goes over to the Mexican side, and they inspect. If they see any animal with signs of screwworm, they send it back; we cure it, and five or six days later we can send it back.”

The strict inspection system between Belize and Mexico ensures that infected animals are returned for treatment and then re-exported.