Canada has slammed the border shut to Texas cattle after a flesh-eating screwworm outbreak was confirmed in the southern state. The move, announced late Tuesday by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, comes as UK food safety experts raise alarms over potential risks to British livestock. Sources confirm the ban applies to all bovine imports from Texas, following the discovery of New World screwworm larvae in cattle at a ranch near the Mexican border. The parasite, Cochliomyia hominivorax, burrows into living tissue, causing severe wounds and often death if untreated.
Documents obtained by this reporter reveal that the outbreak was first flagged by Mexican veterinary authorities in November, but US officials failed to disclose the scale until last week. A Canadian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “We had to act fast. The screwworm is a nightmare. It can decimate a herd in weeks.” The ban is effective immediately, with no timetable for lifting.
Across the Atlantic, the UK’s Food Standards Agency and Defra are on high alert. A leaked internal memo warns that the screwworm could enter Britain through imported animal products or contaminated equipment. The memo, dated 5 January, states: “The risk is low but real. We must enhance surveillance at ports and abattoirs.” Defra declined to comment on the record, but a source close to the agency confirmed that contingency meetings have been held.
The screwworm was eradicated from North America in the 1960s through a sterile insect technique program, but it remains endemic in parts of South America and the Caribbean. This outbreak, traced to a single ranch in Starr County, Texas, is believed to have originated from stray animals crossing the Rio Grande. The USDA has quarantined 12 counties in Texas and is distributing sterile flies to combat the spread. But critics say the response has been too slow.
The economic consequences are immediate. Texas cattle exports to Canada were worth $892 million in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Ranchers in the Lone Star State are furious. “We're being punished for a problem that Mexico created,” said Jim Bob Henson, president of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Canada, however, is taking no chances. The Canadian Cattle Association has backed the ban, calling it “a necessary precaution.”
UK meat imports from Canada are minimal, but the real concern is indirect. The screwworm is a hitchhiker. It can travel through untreated hides, wool, or even in the soil on boots. The FSA has already issued guidance to veterinarians and slaughterhouses to look for signs of myiasis, the infestation caused by screwworm larvae. A Defra spokesperson would only say: “We are monitoring the situation closely and advise all livestock keepers to report any unusual wounds.”
This outbreak is a test of the global food safety net. The World Organisation for Animal Health says screwworm is a notifiable disease, but reporting from Texas has been patchy. The same source at Defra added: “The lesson is clear. We cannot rely on others to protect our borders. We need our own surveillance.”
Canada’s ban may end up saving lives on both sides of the Atlantic. But the question remains: why was the outbreak not disclosed earlier? The answer, like the screwworm itself, might be buried just beneath the surface.
