美国农业部表示，尽管新世界螺旋蝇病例激增，但不会停止墨西哥牛只通过新墨西哥州和亚利桑那州口岸的运输。
The US Department of Agriculture said it won’t halt shipments of Mexican cattle through ports in New Mexico and Arizona even as cases of the New World screwworm surge.
美国农业部发言人周五表示，该机构尚未在进入美国的动物中发现任何感染，并拥有“警惕且强有力的检查规程，在动物甚至接近美国边境之前”就已实施。
The agency hasn’t detected any infestations in animals entering the US and has “vigilant, robust inspection protocols before animals even approach the US border,” a USDA spokesperson said on Friday.
美国螺旋蝇病例在10月激增，这种寄生虫若不治疗会对牛只致命，本周在亚利桑那州首次被检测到。据美国农业部称，自6月初爆发以来，家养动物已出现73例病例，其中21例仍处于活跃状态。
US screwworm cases surged in October and the parasite, which can be deadly to cattle if untreated, was detected this week in Arizona for the first time. There have been 73 cases in domestic animals since the outbreak began in early June, and 21 are still active, according to the USDA.
美国于8月下旬恢复从墨西哥进口活牛，此前为防止螺旋蝇传播，该贸易自2024年以来基本处于停止状态。农业部长布鲁克·罗林斯9月中旬表示，如果美国农业部不能“100%确定”安全性和规程，政府将重新评估重新开放口岸的决定。
The US resumed live cattle imports from Mexico in late August, after largely halting the trade since 2024 to prevent the spread of screwworm. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in mid-September that the government would reassess the reopening if the USDA wasn’t “100% sure” on the safety and protocols.
据美国农业部截至10月23日的数据，今年已有超过5万头牛通过亚利桑那州道格拉斯和新墨西哥州圣特雷莎的开放口岸。
More than 50,000 head of cattle have passed through the open ports in Douglas, Arizona and Santa Teresa, New Mexico this year, according to USDA data through Oct. 23.
在病例相对较低时，牧场主谨慎支持重新开放口岸，但随着害虫扩散，部分牧场主重燃担忧。虽然螺旋蝇可感染任何温血动物，但肉牛因部分时间在户外放牧而特别脆弱。
Ranchers cautiously backed the reopening of ports while cases were relatively low, but some have renewed concerns over the pest’s spread. While the screwworm can infest any warm-blooded animal, beef cattle have been particularly vulnerable as they spend part of their lives grazing outdoors.
螺旋蝇的幼虫会钻入动物伤口，它们自身飞行距离不远，因此传播通常是由于动物、野生动物或家畜的移动造成的。风力条件也可能将这些昆虫带至短距离之外。
Screwworm flies, whose larvae burrow into animal wounds, don’t travel far on their own, so their spread is usually due to the movement of animals, wildlife or livestock. Wind conditions can also carry the bugs short distances.
亚利桑那州养牛人协会主席布莱恩·德加纳尔表示，在该州发现螺旋蝇“并不令人意外”。他说，该协会正敦促美国农业部尽快启用其计划在道格拉斯开设的设施，用于释放不育蝇——这些蝇会与野生蝇交配并抑制繁殖——并补充说，他最担心的是野生动物传播。
Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association president Brian DeGanahl said the detection of screwworm in the state was “not a shock.”The group is pressing the USDA to open its planned facility in Douglas for dispersing sterile flies — which mate with wild flies and curb reproduction — as soon as possible, he said, adding that his main concern is wildlife spread.
德加纳尔说，美国农业部“已经为这些牛只的过境制定了完善的规程”。“受感染的动物几乎不可能通过，所以我们并不太担心这一点。”
The USDA has “already got outstanding protocols for crossing these cattle,” DeGanahl said. “It’s just almost impossible for an infected animal to come through, so we’re not really worried about that.”