Belize Agriculture Health Authority steps up screw-worm campaign after Costa Rica declares screw-worm health emergency following detection of 203 cases

Photo Credit: MAFSE

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: The Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE), is stepping up its screw-worm campaign after the Government of Costa Rica declared a health emergency last week after discovering 203 screw-worm cases in cattle, horses, horses, pigs, sheep, and dogs in that country.

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves said the emergency decree seeks to prevent, control and eradicate the disease, according to Costa Rican La Prensa newspaper.

Here in Belize, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) has posted flyers identifying the screw-worm and advising the population about the dangers the screw-worm can pose.

In the first post, BAHA says “Prevent New World Screw worm (Cochliomyia hominivorax)”, identifies the worm, and asks the populace to “Stop the illegal entry and movement of animals”.

The second post starts in the same manner, shows pictures of the screw worm, and describes the insect.

The two posts provide the numbers to report suspicious cases: (501) 824-4872 and (501) 670-7003 in Central Farm and (501) 302-1388 in Orange Walk.

The screw-worm lays its larvae in any open cut in warm-blooded animals, including people. Hours later the screw-worms are born within the host animal.

The director of Costa Rica’s National Animal Health Service (Senasa), Luis Matamoros, said the main objective of the health emergency decree in Costa Rica was to keep the disease from spreading to humans, other production and domestic animals, and wild animals as well.

La Prensa reported that five of the 203 cases are active and 198 are under control.

Here in Belize, the movement to prevent diseases like the screw-worm from entering the country is led by the Belize Agricultural Health Authority in the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with other ministries of Government and organizations such as the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA). BAHA and its partners work in tandem with countries in the region to prevent the screw-worn disease from entering the country and the region.

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