Minnesota Board of Animal Health Issues New Import Requirements for Dogs, Cats Coming from Mexico

St. Paul, MN: In response to continued cases of New World Screwworm (NWS) infestations appearing in Mexico and Central America, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health has issued new importation requirements for dogs and cats entering the state from Mexico.

“Taking a proactive approach to stop NWS flies and maggots hitching a ride on a dog or cat coming from endemic areas like Mexico is the best way Minnesotans can help keep our animals safe from this pest,” said Dr. Steve Kivisto, senior veterinarian with the Board’s companion animal programs. “The new import requirements help prevent NWS from getting a foothold in our state.”

NWS infestations are associated with the larva or maggots of the Cochiliomyia hominivorax, the New World screwworm fly, which is a species of fly that lays eggs in tiny wounds or orifices of warm-blooded animals including livestock, pets, wildlife, and humans. Once hatched, the maggots feed on living tissue, in contrast to other species of fly larvae, which feed on dead tissue. Because of this live-flesh feeding habit, infestations will often cause secondary bacterial infections which present as painful open wounds. Severe infections have been known to cause death if not spotted and treated promptly. The presence of the NWS fly is not currently confirmed in the United States and is endemic in nearby countries in the Caribbean and Central and South America. The pest was eradicated from Mexico and much of Central America in the early 2000’s, but illegal importation and movement of cattle in these areas allowed it to reappear.

Minnesota’s new guidelines require a detailed veterinary inspection, treatment, documentation, and quarantine periods for any dogs and cats accompanying travelers or being imported from Mexico or other areas where NWS is currently endemic. Anyone bringing dogs or cats into Minnesota will need to provide an International Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, current Rabies vaccination certificate, Screwworm Freedom Certificate (obtained from an official government veterinarian in the country of origin), and proof of treatment with an FDA- or EPA-approved screwworm treatment product. Once in Minnesota, animals are subject to a supervised quarantine period to watch for signs of infestation, which must be immediately reported to the Board. The full text of the new rules can be found on our website.

“By following the guidelines set out by USDA, CDC and the Board, we can all work together to protect Minnesota from NWS,” said Kivisto.

NWS was eradicated from the United States in 1966. In the decades after, NWS was pushed further south through Central America because of a joint operation between the USDA and Panama to distribute sterile NWS flies and disrupt the pest’s ability to reproduce and spread.

The USDA tracks and reports current cases in foreign countries and recent infestations in Mexico have neared the U.S. border in recent months.

For more information on Minnesota’s new guidelines, visit our website.

For more information on the USDA response to NWS, visit screwworm.gov.