# Costa Rica: Costa Rica Declares Screwworm Emergency | USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

> Costa Rica declared the re-emergence of New World screwworm a national emergency on February 7, 2024, nearly seven months after its first case since the late 1990s. The declaration unlocks resources to prevent, control and eradicate the parasite, with case counts and geographic spread rising. USDA suspended Costa Rica's screwworm-free status in August 2023, adding requirements on live animal imports.

- Date: 2024-02-16 · published 2024-02-16T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region Costa Rica · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/31613-costa-rica-costa-rica-declares-screwworm-emergency-usda-foreign-agricultural
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Live cattle imports into the US from Costa Rica face tighter requirements, a marginal supply factor in a market already tight on cattle. The outbreak mainly signals animal-health risk for the region rather than a major price driver.

## Read by commodity

- LCATTLE: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2023-08-05 | [Costa Rica Battles Cattle Screwworm Outbreak](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34505-costa-rica-battles-cattle-screwworm-outbreak.md) | +0.4% | -0.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-12-19 | [USDA allocates $165M to protect livestock from New World screwworm \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26913-usda-allocates-165m-to-protect-livestock-from-new-world-screwworm-agriculture.md) | +0.5% | +3.6% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-02-15 | [Will Costa Rica’s Screwworm Crisis Impact Belize? \| Greater Belize Media](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31621-will-costa-rica-s-screwworm-crisis-impact-belize-greater-belize-media.md) | +0.2% | +3.2% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-03-28 | [USDA urged to ramp up efforts against New World screwworm - Texas Farm Bureau](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25523-usda-urged-to-ramp-up-efforts-against-new-world-screwworm-texas-farm-bureau.md) | -0.5% | +0.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-12-09 | [FDA approves Merck drug for decimated cattle herds to stop screwworm](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21455-fda-approves-merck-drug-for-decimated-cattle-herds-to-stop-screwworm.md) | +2.3% | +3.9% |

## Sources

- web.archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20240218010527/https:/www.fas.usda.gov/data/costa-rica-costa-rica-declares-screwworm-emergency

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.