HEALTH NEWS
Showing 12 articles
AP
New World Screwworm Fly Detected in Texas: USDA Imposes 12‑mile Quarantine","description":"The USDA reports the first confirmed case of the flesh‑eating New World screwworm fly in Texas in over 60 years. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins explains that the larvae are not a food‑safety risk, and the USDA is deploying sterile flies and building new breeding facilities.","summary":"A 3‑week‑old calf in LaPryor, Texas, was found carrying the fly. The USDA has established a 12‑mile quarantine zone, and officials are deploying sterile flies, constructing a new factory in Texas, and monitoring the U.S.‑Mexico border. Ranchers and pet owners are urged to stay within the zone.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/2fc44e6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https://assets.apnews.com/c0/e7/08d2c122f267d953008cbbd64eef/9f30a8f704e8436aa4b0ed1000b44b80","text":"<p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed on Wednesday that the New World screwworm fly has been detected in south Texas for the first time in 60 years, marking the third U.S. occurrence since its eradication in the 1970s.</p> <p>A 3‑week‑old calf in LaPryor, Texas—just 83 km from the Mexico border—was the first confirmed case, the USDA announced. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the larvae pose no food‑safety risk, although they can be deadly if left untreated, and that the calf is recoverable if treated properly.</p> <p>Veterinarian Bud Dinges established a 12‑mile (20 km) quarantine zone, prohibiting any warm‑blooded animals, including pets, from leaving the area without inspection. Rollins called the incident a “border‑present” threat and urged ranchers and pet owners to remain within the zone.</p> <p>To curb spread, the USDA is deploying millions of sterile screwworm flies along the U.S.‑Mexico border—a technique that proved successful during the original eradication campaign. The agency will also construct a new $750‑million factory in Texas to breed and release sterile flies, and a plant in southern Mexico, which should open next month.</p> <p>Officials have tested 58,000 fly samples and 19,000 wild animals over the past months and have installed 8,000 traps along the border, saying there is no threat of a mass infestation. The problem is that the fly can travel with people, pets or wild mammals.</p> <p>Rollins said she defends the 2023 decision to close livestock imports from Mexico. The threat underscores the need for continuous vigilance and cooperation from ranchers to limit movement beyond the quarantine perimeter.</p>
AP
Ghanaian Mother and Son Ordered Deported After Detention at Washington Airport","description":"A Ghanaian mother and her infant son were detained at Washington Dulles International Airport and ordered to return home after a week in a windowless cell. Their case highlights the treatment of asylum seekers and the conditions of U.S. immigration detention.","summary":"Annabella Gyasi, a 38‑year‑old Ghanaian mother, and her son, who was born with severely malformed hands, arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on May 19 on valid tourist visas. After claiming persecution in Ghana, immigration officers detained them. During a week of detention in a windowless room, Gyasi suffered pregnancy complications, including vaginal bleeding and high blood pressure. After two hospital visits and repeat refusals to provide additional food, the women’s lawyers filed a petition with the ACLU of Virginia. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a Friday order allowing Gyasi and her son to return to Ghana immediately, citing the welfare of the petitioners and the interests of justice. An earlier order already ruled their tourist visas invalid because Gyasi had indicated she intended to seek asylum. The case underscores ongoing concerns about the humane treatment of migrants in U.S. detention facilities.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/7fad3ea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5615x3743+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fe6%2Fa4%2F3e5557ce07217991b82efa1b1aea%2F3eba7085f0e64648bfa4a8cbc5d49bfb","text":"<p>A pregnant woman from Ghana and her young son who spent more than a week in a windowless detention room at a Washington airport have been ordered deported and are flying back to Africa, her lawyers said Friday.</p><p>Annabella Gyasi, 38, arrived May 19 at Washington Dulles International Airport ahead of a medical appointment for her son, who was born with severely malformed hands, according to a petition filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia.</p><p>Both were traveling on valid visas, but they were detained by immigration officers after Gyasi said they had faced persecution in Ghana and feared returning, the lawyers said.</p><p>After days in detention and two hospitalizations for pregnancy complications, including vaginal bleeding and high blood pressure, Gyasi felt she had no choice but to agree to leave the U.S., they said.</p><p>“While we’re relieved that Ms. Gyasi and her son will soon be free from this nightmare, no one should be subjected to the inhumane conditions they endured,” ACLU Virginia Executive Director Mary Bauer said in a statement.</p><p>Gyasi had repeatedly told guards that she and her son were hungry but were not given additional food, according to her lawyers. The Department of Homeland Security denied that, saying everyone in custody “has access to appropriate care, including medical evaluation by a doctor, medication, and food.”</p><p>An earlier order from Brinkema quoted immigration officials as saying Gyasi’s tourist visas were not valid because she had told them that she came to the U.S. to seek asylum and didn’t plan to return home.</p><p>Gyasi and her son were expected to leave for Ghana on Friday evening.</p>
Follow us
© 2024 SwissX REDD UK ltd. All Rights Reserved.