screwworm Outbreak Threatens $1.2B Livestock Industry, Emergency Response Activated
Global markets jolted today as an aggressive screwworm infestation spread across key agricultural regions, threatening a $1.2 billion livestock sector with catastrophic losses. The parasitic larvae, which burrow into living tissue, have triggered urgent quarantine measures and a massive aerial drop of sterile flies to contain the outbreak. CEOs of major beef and dairy producers are now scrambling to secure supply chains as export bans loom, with some predicting a 30% spike in meat prices within weeks. This crisis exposes critical gaps in biosecurity infrastructure, demanding immediate capital investment in surveillance and rapid-response protocols to prevent a full-scale economic disaster.