Minister Jose Mai Chairs Regional Discussions on New World Screwworm Control at 93rd Extraordinary Meeting of CIRSA

San Salvador, El Salvador — Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, was currently in San Salvador chairing the 93rd extraordinary meeting of the Comité Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CIRSA), the International Regional Committee on Agricultural Health. CIRSA is composed of the Ministers of Agriculture from Central America, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic and serves as the parent body of the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA).

The meeting focuses heavily on the control and eradication of the New World Screwworm (NWS), a serious pest that threatens livestock and agricultural productivity across the region. Each of the nine OIRSA member countries is presenting updates on the status of their national screwworm management and control programs, highlighting both strengths and challenges encountered.

Minister Mai, who currently holds the rotating presidency of CIRSA, is leading the discussions. Ministers are also working together to draft a regional eradication plan and a proposed budget, which will later be presented to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and other supporting agencies for potential funding and technical assistance.

During Belize’s presentation, Minister Mai reported that since the first detection of the New World Screwworm in Belize on December 26, 2024, a cumulative total of 63 cases has been confirmed. Notably, Belize has managed this despite no sterile flies yet being released in-country. He noted that the northern region remains largely unaffected, with no cases reported in the Corozal District and only two cases in the Orange Walk District. Importantly, no human cases have been recorded in Belize, unlike neighboring Nicaragua, where 94 human cases have been reported.

In comparison, Nicaragua leads the region with 121,177 cumulative cases, followed by Panama, Costa Rica, and Honduras. El Salvador has reported 1,171 cases, mainly in pets, and Mexico has recorded 1,015 cases, including one human case. Guatemala, with 555 cases, reports the fewest after Belize, although concerns remain about the robustness of its surveillance systems.

Minister Mai credited Belize’s relatively strong performance to effective collaboration between the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), the Ministry of Agriculture, the Belize Livestock Producers Association (BLPA), cattle farmers, OIRSA, USDA/APHIS, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

Belize’s delegation at the meeting included Chief Executive Officer Servulo Baeza, Senior Advisor and Chairman of Belize’s National Screwworm Coordination Committee Hugh O’Brien, and OIRSA Country Representative Fermin Blanco.

Minister Mai returned to Belize on Sunday following the conclusion of the meeting.