Yucatan Officials Clash Over Timeline to Eradicate Cattle Parasite

Mérida, Yucatán — A legislative debate over Yucatan’s screwworm outbreak revealed stark divisions on Tuesday, with one lawmaker suggesting eradication could take three decades while another criticized the government’s delayed response.

The conflict emerged during a state congressional session where lawmakers addressed the spread of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly larva that infests livestock and can affect humans.

Wilmer Monforte Marfil, president of the Congressional Governing Board and Coordination Committee, indicated that previous governments took more than 30 years to eliminate similar outbreaks. “To give you an idea of what we’re dealing with,” said Monforte Marfil, who is also a cattle rancher and often wears a hat in the chamber.

Discussing the first reported human death from myiasis caused by the parasite, the legislator urged against spreading panic or politicizing the issue. He confirmed that Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena shares concerns about the infestation and has proposed building a sterile fly production facility, though such projects “cannot be built overnight.”

Monforte Marfil questioned the effectiveness of a Yucatan-only solution, noting that “Yucatan would gain nothing from having a plant that eradicates the screwworm fly if the rest of the country still has the plague.”

In contrast, Congresswoman Ana Cristina Polanco Bautista argued that the government’s response came too late and the situation has become serious. She reported that the outbreak has caused national losses of 260 million pesos (approximately $14.5 million), affecting producers through livestock movement restrictions and increased treatment costs.

Polanco Bautista proposed creating a special legislative commission to monitor the government’s response, evaluate results, ensure accountability, review resource allocation, verify brigade coverage, and analyze prevention strategies.

Several related initiatives were referred to committees for further analysis during Wednesday’s session.